The Ministry of Health (MoH), Malaysia, has awarded Indian biopharma company Biocon a three-year contract to its Malaysian subsidiary, Biocon Sdn. Bhd., for supplying recombinant human insulin (rh-insulin) formulations manufactured at its large-scale biopharma facility in Johor, Malaysia.

Biocon’s rh-insulin is Malaysia’s first locally manufactured biosimilar biologic product approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Malaysia, for commercial sales in the country. This marks the commercialization milestone of Biocon’s first overseas facility in Malaysia.

The $65 million contract is to be serviced over a period of three-years for supplying rh-insulin cartridges and re-usable insulin pens under the Malaysian government’s Off-Take Agreement (OTA) initiative, which seeks to encourage local manufacturing of new pharmaceutical products helping to lower the country’s reliance on imports while also enhancing export potential. The contract is extendable for an additional two-years if approved by the Malaysian government.

“We are pleased to support the Ministry of Health of Malaysia in providing high quality, affordable, rh-insulin for people with diabetes in Malaysia. It is a matter of pride that this is a “Made in Malaysia” insulin product manufactured by Biocon Sdn. Bhd. at the BioXcell Biotech Park in Nusajaya, Johor. We expect our Malaysian facility to cater to the growing needs for affordable insulins across the globe,” said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director, Biocon.

Rapid urbanization, changing lifestyles and sub-optimal dietary habits are leading to a high incidence of diabetes in Malaysia, with over 3.3 million people currently diagnosed.

Biocon’s 800,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility complies with global regulatory requirements. Rh-insulin is the first product from Biocon’s Malaysian facility approved by NPRA, which certified the facility first in 2015.