Company expands its portfolio of cutting-edge OTC drugs for preventive care and active living, through its differentiated and innovative Effervescent Drug Delivery platform
Mumbai-based Fullife Healthcare Private Limited is ushering in a paradigm shift in India’s lifestyle drug market, using innovative effervescent products. The company, which commenced its Indian operations in 2010, specialises in innovative OTC drugs with a primary focus on preventive medication using novel drug delivery formats. Fullife is capitalising on proprietary technologies that it acquired from Switzerland-based Novelty Pharma, to manufacture a range of differentiated effervescent products.
Through its rich portfolio, Fullife aims to ride on projected growth of the global effervescent market. According to the company, the global effervescent market is projected to move upwards of US$50 billion by 2025. In particular, the company’s products are designed to appeal to the well-informed and health-conscious consumers that believe in preventive care and active living.
‘Prevention’ is the new Mantra
With consumer demand for wellness services and preventive medication growing at a healthy tick, the opportunity for innovation-driven preventive healthcare OTC products is vast. The global wellness industry is estimated to be in the region of US$3 trillion, according to the company, that makes it three times larger than the US$1 trillion worldwide pharmaceutical industry. Of this, preventive medicine is valued at approximately US$500 billion. Key factors driving the market expansion for preventive medicine include the growing awareness about preventive measures which enhance the quality of life, lifespan and minimise the possible healthcare spend.
Preventive medicine is currently growing the fastest in markets that can afford access to cutting-edge technologies, and have the potential to become truly global in time. In these affluent markets, there is a fundamental shift taking place in the collective attitude towards health and how to manage it. This way of thinking is rapidly permeating into other fast-growing emerging markets, such as India, as large segments of well-informed GEN-Y and GEN-X people are opting to adopt similar ‘active-living’ lifestyles to stay healthy and prevent illness.
With the world’s youngest population and fastest-growing middle-class in the world, India as a market is ripe for the picking. Historically, India has always been a market where drugs were primarily made to meet low-income affordability norms. Now, over the last decade, India has witnessed the emergence of a fast-growing middle-class that can afford and demand a larger variety of modern, value-added OTC options. This segment had remained underserved until now. Fullife is addressing this demand-supply gap by using mature and established Swiss effervescent technologies and creating unique and differentiated OTC products aimed specifically towards Indian tastes and sensibilities.
The Effervescent ‘Edge’
The oral delivery system provides several compliance and functional benefits. Nutraceuticals enjoy the ability to be packed into large doses of active ingredients, figuring in the realm of daily dietary supplements and specialised drugs. Since effervescent products are dissolved before they are ingested, they allow active ingredients to be solubilised or dispersed before reaching the system, thus speeding up absorption and bioavailability. In Europe, many vitamins, minerals and even key drugs, are being delivered via effervescent means since a long time, capturing a significant market share. Another striking edge is its multi-sensory in-use experience. It is an extremely convenient, portable and an easy-to-use dosage form, delivering a positive, refreshing and beneficial experience.
According to Varun Khanna, Director – Business Development, Fullife Healthcare, “Due to their innate nature, effervescent products have one of the fastest bio-absorptions as a dosage format. Fullife has strategically embraced this delivery science, and translated it into a wide range of branded products, the leading one being ‘Fast&Up’.”
A ‘Smart’ Business Model
The company has been gathering pace over the last 4 years by setting up appropriate manufacturing capabilities; getting all regulatory product approvals; setting up its sales and distribution network; and the appropriate logistical support to facilitate sales. “India is at the crux of an intensifying trend towards lifestyle OTC products, with a growing number of healthcare spenders preferring preventive medicine over ‘disease-driven products’. We are proud to make a large variety of world-class products accessible to Indian consumers,” added Khanna.
The company’s business model benefits from a unique combination of using the ideal drug delivery technologies; manufacturing in India with an Asian cost base; and having a wide global presence to address the global marketplace. Fullife intends to create a rich portfolio of products that address certain acute and chronic therapeutic areas. “Our marketing strategy is aimed at building a world-wide model through distributors and alliance partners to create a solid branded business. In time, we hope to become a transnational company, with a dynamic portfolio of brands that have global appeal,” concurred Satish Khanna, Chairman, Fullife Healthcare.
