In recent times around the world, Indian pharmacy companies have done well in various segments of business. Pharmacy is also no exception to this fact. India is now a hub for some of the most prestigious pharmaceutical companies located there. This is what is still pulchritudinous about this country of sages and Ayurvedacharyas (ancient doctors) that can be found in our genes. The medicine exporting nation exports medicines worth billions of dollars to many countries worldwide. Such companies are numerous but few have performed so well considering their scale and difficulties encountered during the process. Triphase Pharmaceuticals is one such company which has come a long way since its inception.
Primarily conceived by them as a services’ company, they started it in 2006 conducting routine peptide chemistry work for others including making molecules used as precursors n-1 step widely known. The Chairman Mr Aditya Desiraju, an Automation Engineer from Oil Industry and his wife Dr. Shrilakshmi Desiraju, a natural product chemist decided to move back to India after 15 years in Canada.In 2009 CRO business was booming. Then they realized that Probiotics were going to be huge. They took samples of different types of live bacteria. Lactobacillus species which are commonest bacteria in the Industry as well as reside within our digestive system were chosen by Triphase. With appropriate nutrition these little guys do wonders when consumed in definite quantities but they need an encapsulation or refrigeration with life support. Currently the industry adds 200-300 times the required amount just to meet label claims. This is because all spore formers like Bacillus Coagulans are used by industry today. There are no heat resistant High Temperature stable Lactobacillus species. Triphase hopes to change that. The brain-gut axis also connects us with our digestive systems. It became something like feverish burning desire towards solving these very expensive market pains. The Company worked on this extensively for three years.
Solving market pains once and for all
Triphase Pharmaceuticals and its team have since solved 90% of the Probiotics manufacturing market challenges that exist. They started off by resolving the temperature problem. By making Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum into a high temperature stable strain that could even withstand up to 240 degree Celsius when grown in food or in any other media, they resolved the temperature issue. Through their unique, novel and patented TSP platform process, cold chain was entirely eliminated in this case even with up to 18 months of stability at room temperature. Moreover, these strains were made pH stable so as to survive gastric juice in stomach. Additionally, these strains are non-genetically modified. So fermentation time per batch has reduced from between 8-14 hrs saving about 30%-40% on utilities, HR costs, media etc. Triphase has added four more high temperature strains similar to those described above. Furthermore no additional drying equipment nor new fermenter design development is required because they can be used in any food matrix or be part of a dietary supplement without demanding further Capital investment on such production line requirements.
However, despite several obstacles it faced the company has been able to run its business quite successfully. The Industrial area where the company is set up lacks basic requirement. Many times unannounced shutdown of power coupled with inconsistent water supplies have posed challenges during these periods. However, the company is determined to bring out the best from its rich expertise.
At present, the Company is negotiating with two industry leaders for taking a step towards an Out Licensing deal closure. It has laid down plans for embarking on major R&D projects that would see it convert already lyophilized or freeze dried probiotic strains into High temperature stable strains for customers who have demanded these services. The current value of its patents is around fifty million and counting. If these few remaining patents are granted it will be worth anywhere between 150-200 million USD
Triphase’s sales had been little till now and were mostly to multinationals like Glaxo Smith Kline in addition to some larger distributors in America. Triphase wants some reputable firms such as Pfizer or PepsiCo among others who have considered moving to health food sector as part of their Client base. Additionally, Triphase speaks with people from CHR Hansen as well as Deerland Enzymes and probiotics and Probi. On the other hand, Triphase also collaborates with different companies making products such coffee, cookies, biscuits, bread dinner rolls baked pastries chocolates gummies etc., premium items that can be launched later on in the hospitality Industry, Airlines and duty free.
This organization became one of the prominent brands within this particular sphere after a tough phase of struggle. These include Floracid™ (Digestive health and immunity), Provasic™ (Cardiovascular Health & Cholesterol reduction), ReAlign™ (Digestive health) and DentaPro™(Oral Health).
Securing Products That Will Make Tomorrow Safer
For this reason, Triphase proceeds carefully designing its R&D protocols along with developing them. It always considers product safety while adhering to USFDA’s regulations as well as guidelines laid by Health Canada at all times through which it passes before it can come out with world class products .It always includes commercialization plan together with market feasibility report in their project dossier unless otherwise they can not produce the best product in the world. As far as security is concerned, it handles scientific data of all experiments with greatest care. A single experiment should not be conducted by on a single individual; instead, he/she has only one part of an experiment and knows nothing about what his/her team member is doing. Every product is branded and trademarked to ensure that it carries intellectual property value. There are packaging designs for products having built-in security features which cannot be copied or replicated elsewhere. This includes such things as Medicinal Ingredients (API), Non-medicinal ingredients (excipients), Dosage Form or Supplement Size (e.g., capsule), Delivery Method (e.g., oral) or Route of Administration, Dosage, Storage Conditions necessary disclaimers as required by labeling information allergen warnings supplement fact panel etc.
In a frank talk Mr Desiraju, spoke about some policies that need to be enacted to improve pharmaceutical R&D.“We need strong stakeholders like EFSA or Health Canada to help us fix this mess and we should work together.” India’s generics are cheap but made under appalling conditions without scientific credentials and clinical trials. Poverty in India has another meaning: when you have nothing to lose you can use your poverty as an asset.
In other words, Triphase struggles to keep its products affordable through international standards combined with scientific processes endorsed by research results for its life-saving drugs that cause slight side effects compared their price tags.
We Did It
Finally on August 28th2018, it was granted a US patent by the USPTO (United States Patent and Trade mark Office) after three years of filing PCTs (Patent Cooperation Treaty) and office actions.” Triphase is being bombarded with patents including Canadian, European Union (all states) and Indian which are currently in prosecution thus increasing company’s value. Moreover, Triphase’s Floracid™and Provasic™ were given numbers by NHDP following their approval by Health Canada. It is an also Food establishment registered by the USFDA as well as it will soon receive foreign site registration license from Health Canada. The probiotic manufacturing facility has FSSAI licenses for manufacturing as well as distributing. Triphase was one of the recipients of India small giants featured by NDTV.NDTV interviewed Dr. Shrilakshmi Desiraju who represented Triphase at IIM Ahmedabad where she pitched before.In addition to this, she emerged victorious and also became the recipient of Power of Ideas award from CIIE. MrDesiraju among several Innovators from India selected to attend LIF program in London, UK organized by Royal Academy of Engineering for 10 days.
Our Plans for the Future
Triphase’s plans to acquire land in Mysore can be thwarted by some authorities who will refuse because of deafness; however, that doesn’t stop it. To begin with is R&D starting facilities with at least 60-80 MT p.a world class manufacturing center. Triphase is also contemplating on IPO within few years.Probiotics Market is expected to garner approx. $57.4 billion by 2022, registering a CAGR of 11.7% during the forecast period 2012-2022.It looks forward to hiring skilled staff and highly experienced scientists who can think outside the box.Moreover since this requires very clean hygienic condition, so all its manufacturing formulation suite100% will be automated, (incorporating IOT & AI) for sure. This is a make in India Initiative to produce high quality probiotics says our honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Let’s Meet Up
An instrumentation and automation engineer is Mr. Aditya Desiraju who obtained a diploma in electronics & telecommunication in Mysore, Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering & Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from White Lake University and California Hill, USA. With big firms like Shell, Saudi Aramco, ADNOC, GASCO, KNPC, Bechtel, Technip he has worked for around 27 years across multiple geographies starting from India to Malaysia then the Middle East and Canada. At CoSyn Technology, Bantrel, Colt Engineering, UMA-AECOM, AMEC and Worley Parsons as Site Lead or Automation Engineering Lead or Project Lead which he held while working at Edmonton including Fort McMurray and Calgary. As far as Legal matters are concerned such as IP rights plus Contracts management etc., all legal issues rest with him regarding Triphase.Regardless of being an independent certified director by IOD and member besides being named on the patent first among other positions can be attributed to him.