Zydus Lifesciences Ltd.

Mumbai: Indian drugmaker Lupin and a clutch of private equity investors including EQT Partners and TPG Capital are in separate early-stage discussions to acquire UK’s largest nutraceutical company, Vitabiotics , people aware of the development said. The potential deal is expected to value the Lalvani family-owned business at around £1 billion (Rs 11,800 crore). Lupin is in discussions with a couple of PE firms to form a consortium to bid for the asset, the people said. Several Indian players — including Mankind Pharma and Zydus Wellness — had also evaluated the opportunity but stepped back amid steep valuation expectations, they said. Houlihan Lokey is advising the promoters on the sale process. The British company’s Indian arm, Meyer Vitabiotics , contributes roughly 20% to its £253 million (about `3,000 crore) annual sales, according to the people. Its Calcimax brand holds a dominant position across paediatrics, diabetes, cardiac care, and women’s health segments, especi- ally pregnancy and menopause. Meyer's prescription drug sales posted `412 crore for the 12 months through October 2025, growing at 13% on a moving annual total (MAT) basis, show data from industry tracker PharmaTrac. Vitabiotics’ top-selling brands include Wellwoman, Wellbaby, Pregnacare, Menopace, Feroglobin, Immunace, Visionace, Perfectil and Osteocare. The company is reviving plans to sell the business and working with advisers to gauge interest from potential buyers, Bloomberg reported in February. Unilever and Nestle were also reported as suitors for the business. Emails sent to Vitabiotics, TPG and Lupin did not elicit any responses till the press time Sunday. An EQT spokesperson declined to comment. Founded in 1971 by British-Indian businessman Kartar Lalvani, Vitabiotics is currently led by his son, Tej Lalvani, who had appeared as an investor on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, the Shark Tanklike programme where entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to wealthy investors. The company expanded its Southeast Asian footprint in 2008 by acquiring Sandoz Asia’s manufacturing facilities in Indonesia, enabling in-house production of international products while continuing toll manufacturing for Sandoz and Apex. Zydus Wellness dropped plans to pursue Vitabiotics after it acquired UK-based Comfort Click in the vitamins, minerals and supplements segment. Mankind Pharma , after showing early interest, did not proceed further, the people said. A Mankind Pharma spokesperson said the company is not bidding for Vitabiotics. FAST-GROWING SEGMENT Nutraceuticals remain a fastgrowing segment in India, with doctors increasingly co-prescribing vitamins, minerals and supplements along with standard therapies. India’s vitamins, minerals and nutraceuticals market is valued at Rs 20,864 crore annually and is expanding at 9% on a MAT basis, according to PharmaTrac. Vitamins accounted for `9,304 crore in annual sales as of October this year. Leading Indian drug makers are increasing their focus on the nutraceuticals and healthcare supplements business due to their pricing flexibility. Besides, nutraceuticals marketed through the ethical route (via doctor's prescription) can also be sold as over-the-counter products. Swedish investment major EQT, which manages $309 billion in assets, has a long history of large UK transactions. In 2023, it acquired veterinary pharmaceuticals company Dechra for £4.5 billion in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. ACQUISITION SPREE Indian pharmaceutical companies have been on an aggressive acquisition spree over the last couple of years, seeking global footprints and entry into new therapeutic areas. In April, Lupin Healthcare (UK) Ltd, acquired Renascience Pharma, a UK-based pharmaceutical company, for £12 million. Lupin also acquired Amsterdam-based VISUfarma BV at an enterprise value of £190 million in September. In 2025 Zydus announced two major cross-border deals: Zydus Wellness ’ £239 million takeover of Comfort Click to enter the global VMS market and Zydus Lifesciences’ acquisition of two US manufacturing facilities from Agenus for up to $125 million to expand into contract development and manufacturing in the biologics space. The healthcare and pharmaceutical sector recorded a sharp rise in investment activity in the quarter ended September, notching up 72 transactions worth nearly $3.5 billion, a 166% jump over the previous quarter, according to Grant Thornton. Outbound activity rose 5.3x sequentially to the highest quarterly levels ever, led by pharma & biotech, hospitals and medical devices, as Indian firms pursued overseas acquisitions for scale, capabilities and diversification. By Reghu Balakrishnan & Vikas Dandekar ,

New Delhi: Zydus Lifesciences on Thursday said it has received approval from the US health regulator to market a generic diabetes drug . The company has received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Empagliflozin and Linagliptin tablets, a statement said. The tablets in a combination are indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when treatment with both Empagliflozin and Linagliptin is appropriate. The product will be produced at the group's formulation manufacturing facility at SEZ, Ahmedabad, the drug maker said. As per the IQVIA MAT September-2025 data, Empagliflozin and Linagliptin tablets had annual sales of USD 215.8 million in the US.

AHMEDABAD, India and NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. (including its subsidiaries and affiliates), a global innovation-driven healthcare company, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive licensing and commercialization agreement with RK Pharma Inc of the US for a novel sterile injectable 505(b)(2) oncology supportive care product for the US market. Under the terms of this agreement, RK Pharma will manufacture and supply the finished product, while Zydus will be responsible for the NDA submission and commercialization of the product in the US. The product, developed under the 505(b)(2) pathway, is expected to be filed in 2026 and will provide a formulation that is intended to provide reduced dosing error and enhanced compliance of healthcare professionals. Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director of Zydus Lifesciences, said "We are delighted to collaborate with RK Pharma to bring this innovative product to patients in the US. This partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality, affordable medicines and improving patient care." Dr. Ravishanker Kovi, Founder and Executive Chairman of RK Pharma, stated, "This novel 505(b)(2) product of supportive oncology treatment highlights RK Pharma's testament to advanced capabilities in formulation and manufacturing, particularly in specialized areas like sterile injectables and complex generics. Our collaboration with Zydus, a company with robust regulatory expertise and a powerful commercial footprint, ensures that this important therapeutic option reaches patients efficiently, reinforcing our shared mission to improve access to high-quality healthcare in the USA." The novel 505(b)(2) product targets a significant commercial opportunity in the U.S. market, with an estimated total addressable market (TAM) of 6.2 million units, according to IQVIA data MAT September 2025. About Zydus Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. is an innovative, global lifesciences company committed to empowering people with the freedom to live healthier, more fulfilled lives. The group discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies, maintaining a significant presence in cancer-related therapies, including cytotoxic, supportive, and targeted drugs. The group employs over 29,000 people worldwide, including 1,500 scientists engaged in R & D, and is driven by its mission to unlock new possibilities in lifesciences through quality healthcare solutions that impact lives. The group aspires to transform lives through path-breaking discoveries. For more details, visit . About RK Pharma RK Pharma Inc. is a privately held, US based, vertically integrated pharmaceutical company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of complex generic products. Founded in 2018, RK Pharma employs over 1700 people and operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in New York, New Jersey, and India, with a strong focus on challenging dosage forms such as sterile injectables and ophthalmic formulations. RK Pharma is dedicated to improving quality of life by providing high-quality, affordable, and effective medicines. For more details, please visit . Logo: SOURCE Zydus Lifesciences 21% more press release views with Request a Demo