Biocon Limited is engaged in the manufacture of biotechnology products and research services. The Company is a public limited company incorporated and domiciled in India. The Company’s shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India.
The company is an innovation-led global biopharmaceuticals company committed to enhance affordable access to complex therapies for chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer and autoimmune. It has developed and commercialized novel biologics, biosimilars, and complex small molecule APIs in India and several key global markets as well as generic formulations in the US and Europe. It also has a pipeline of promising novel assets in immunotherapy under development.
1978: Biocon India Private Limited is incorporated as a joint venture between Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Biocon Biochemicals Limited Ireland. Starting with three employees in a rented shed in Koramangala, suburban Bangalore. Biocon began manufacturing and exporting Papain, a plant enzyme, and Isinglass, a marine hydrocolloid - both, key products for the brewing industry.
1979: Biocon’s first export was Papain, a plant enzyme derived from Papaya, to U.S. and Europe, signalling the company's ambition to produce high quality, world class products in India for global markets.
1980: Biocon acquires a 20-acre plot on Hosur Road, Bangalore to expand operations. On March 8, 1980, the foundation stone was laid for the building that currently houses the company’s corporate office.
1981: Biocon decides to move beyond its frugal operations in rented premises and starts building its own integrated campus at 20th KM, Hosur Road, Electronics City, Bangalore.
1983: Biocon’s new campus at 20th KM, Hosur Road, Electronics City, Bangalore is inaugurated by Irish Ambassador H.E. Bernard McHugh. Manufacturing activity shifted from the rented shed to the new site. R&D was also initiated.
1984: Biocon established its R&D division, which initially focused on the development of solid state fermentation technology to develop novel enzymes.
1989: Biocon Biochemicals Limited, Ireland, including its subsidiaries, are acquired by Unilever Plc. and merged with its wholly-owned subsidiary Quest International, The Netherlands. Biocon India begins producing enzymes for Unilever’s food businesses.
1990: Biocon scales up its in-house research program based on a proprietary solid state fermentation technology through a new subsidiary Biochemizyme Limited to scale up from pilot to plant level.
1993: Biocon's R&D and manufacturing facilities receive ISO 9001 certification from RWTUV, Germany, making it the first life sciences company in India to get the ISO 9001 Certification.
1994: Syngene is incorporated as a Custom Research Organisation (CRO) in 1994 to provide efficient, high-quality, cost-effective research & development services in chemistry and biology to the global pharmaceutical industry.
1995: Unilever acquires 50% stake in Biochemizyme and creates Biocon Quest India Limited (BQIL), with Biocon and Unilever holding 50% stake each in the entity. A four-fold expansion of Biochemizyme’s solid state fermentation capacity aims to produce a range of fungal enzymes for the food and pharmaceutical industry.
1998: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and John Shaw buy out Unilever’s share in Biocon India Limited making it an independent, privately owned company.
1999: Nobel Laureate Prof. James D. Watson, remembered for co-discovering DNA’s double-helix structure, visits Biocon.
2000: Biocon establishes Clinigene as India's first Clinical Research Organisation to develop world-class capabilities for clinical research and related activities. Clinigene, a 100% subsidiary of Biocon, starts providing clinical research services to domestic and multinational companies.
2000: PlaFractor, Biocon’s patented fermentation reactor, is commissioned. The indigenous PlaFractor fermentation platform proved a commercial success as Biocon was the first company to make Mycophenolate Mofetil using this technology in 2000.
2000: Biocon commissions its first fully automated submerged fermentation plant to produce specialty pharmaceuticals.
2001: Biocon is the first company globally to get U.S. FDA approval for making Lovastatin API through an innovative solid state fermentation technology.
2001: Biocon’s proprietary bioreactor PlaFractor is granted a U.S. and worldwide patent.
2002: Biocon establishes a joint venture company, Biocon Biopharmaceuticals Private Limited, with CIMAB S.A., a Cuban biotechnology company, to manufacture biologicals developed by CIMAB, including Nimotizumab & Itolizumab monoclonal antibodies.
2004: Biocon is the first company in the world to commercialise recombinant human insulin (rh-insulin), Insugen, using a novel Pichia pastoris yeast expression system.
2004: Biocon creates a buzz in the stock market in March 2004 with its hugely successful IPO.
2006: Biocon Park, India’s first private Biotechnology SEZ, inaugurated.
2006: First company in India to launch a novel biologic, Nimotuzumab.
2006: India's largest multi-product Biologics facility inaugurated.
2007: Biocon divests enzymes business.
2008: Biocon acquires stake in AxiCorp GmbH, a German pharmaceutical company.
2009: Biocon, Mylan enter strategic global partnership for development of biosimilars.
2009: Biocon launched Insulin Glargine under the brand name Basalog in India, providing diabetes patients with an advanced, affordable insulin therapy.
2009: Biocon Bristol-Myers Squibb Research Centre (BBRC) inaugurated.
2010: Biocon and Pfizer enter into a strategic global agreement.
2011: Biocon starts work on the largest integrated insulins facility in Asia.
2011: Biocon launches INSUPen for patients in India.
2012: Biocon Research Centre Inaugurated.
2013: World’s first anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody Itolizumab commercialised in India.
2013: Biocon House inaugurated.
2013: Biocon establishes Biocon Academy under its CSR agenda.
2014: Biocon introduces world’s first biosimilar Trastuzumab, CANMAb, in India.
2015: Biocon’s research services subsidiary, Syngene, debuts on the Indian stock market.
2015: Biocon’s new insulin devices facility inaugurated in Bangalore.
2016: Biocon Gets its First Generic Formulation Approval in EU.
2016: First biosimilar from India to be approved in Japan.
2017: First company from India to get U.S. FDA approval for a biosimilar.
2017: Biocon’s first overseas facility in Malaysia starts operations.
2017: Biocon outlicenses Itolizumab to Equillium for U.S., Canada.
2017: Biocon launches its biosimilar Bevacizumab in India.
2018: First company from India to have biosimilar commercialised in U.S.
2018: Biocon and Mylan’s biosimilar Insulin Glargine, Semglee, receives European approval for commercialisation.
2018: Biocon, Sandoz enter global partnership for next-gen biosimilars.
2018: Two biosimilars get marketing authorisation in EU.
2019: Biosimilars business consolidated under independent entity Biocon Biologics.
2019: Biocon becomes the first Indian player to launch biosimilar Trastuzumab, Ogivri, in the U.S. through partner Mylan.
2019: Bicara Therapeutics is incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Biocon in Boston, U.S., to focus on developing a pipeline of bi-functional antibodies that exploit the advances in immuno-oncology.
2020: True North makes a primary equity investment in Biocon Biologics.
2020: Itolizumab Gets DCGI Nod for Restricted Emergency Use in Moderate to Severe COVID-19 Patients.
2020: Tata Capital picks up minority stake in Biocon Biologics.
2020: Biocon and Mylan achieve the key milestone of receiving U.S. FDA approval and bringing to market both the vial and pen presentations of Semglee (insulin glargine injection), the first for any company following the reference product.
Comment