Bayer Pharma is not only seeing India as potential high growth market but also as a hub for innovation, R&D and potential collaborations, top executives of the company told ET.

“Our strategy for India in pharmaceuticals is to continue to make significant investments, we believe that India is a growing market with a growing population,” said Julio Triana, head of commercial operations, Japan & APAC for Pharma, president and representative director, Bayer Holding in a recent interview to ET.

Bayer has opened a research centre in Hyderabad, employing more than 100 people, and plans to hire more going forward.

The Hyderabad centre is supporting Bayer global team, in areas of data science and analytics, drug discovery, manufacturing activities, and clinical trial operations.

The company said it is also open to collaborations with universities, local governments, private companies, and venture capitalists, as it deepens presence in India.

The drug major is also doing more clinical trials in India than ever before. Currently around 16 clinical trials in phase 2, phase 3, and phase 4 – across different therapy areas like oncology, women’s health, cardiovascular, ophthalmology, among others are underway. “We will continue to bring parts of our value chain as our business grows,” Triana added. Triana said that Bayer wants Indian population represented in its global trials, so that it can provide faster access to innovative pipeline medicines to Indians.

Bayer launched two drugs Verquvo (for worsening heart failure) and Kerendia (for chronic kidney disease in Type 2 diabetes) in India.

The company is planning to launch in 2026, its most anticipated blood thinner Asundexian, that prevents thrombosis and strokes. The drug is a next generation to its blockbuster drug Xarelto (rivaroxaban).

“We have a significant presence for its study in India, and so we believe it will be very successful here, just as we saw for Xarelto,” said Anne Grethe Mortensen, chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

While India is a growing market, Mortensen says affordability and accessibility is a key challenge.

“India is a special market for us owing to the ‘Self-Pay Market.’ It is always in our interests to make sure that innovation comes to our patients at an affordable cost,” Mortensen said. The company is trying to make its innovative drugs accessible through patient assistance programs (PAP), financing options and following a tiered pricing approach, where the drug is linked to country’s per capital income.

Eylea, product to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) is offered to patients through PAP and flexible and affordable payment options.