Carlyle may invest $100mn in BDR Pharma

US-headquartered private equity firm Carlyle is in talks with promoters of Mumbai-based BDR Pharma to invest $100 million in the drug company, the funding for which is expected to be used in expanding the company's operations. BDR Pharma which manufactures drugs across therapy areas such as oncology, critical care and gynaecology is looking to expand its business into new geographies. Dharmesh Shah, MD, BDR Pharma said the company will be going for aggressive expansion by making investments worth $70 million in developing the infrastructure of the company. BDR Pharma rose to fame for its patent challenges against MNC drug makers in the areas of oncology. Couple of years ago the company had filed a compulsory licence against US drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb for its anti-cancer drug Dasatinib, which the patent office had rejected. In the past, Carlyle had invested in drugmaker Claris Lifesciences which was later sold to Japan's Otsuka pharma.