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Dr Reddy's, Alvotech join hands to develop biosimilar for cancer treatment
Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Thursday said it has joined hands with global biotech firm Alvotech to co-develop and commercialise a biosimilar product for treating multiple types of cancer.
The Hyderabad-based drug major has entered into a collaboration and license agreement to co-develop, manufacture and commercialize a biosimilar candidate to Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for global markets, Dr Reddy's Laboratories said in a statement.
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is indicated for the treatment of numerous cancer types.
In 2024, worldwide sales of Keytruda were USD 29.5 billion.
The collaboration combines Dr Reddy's and Alvotech's proven capabilities in biosimilars thereby speeding up the development process and extending the global reach for this biosimilar candidate, the company noted.
"It further enables us to increase the availability of cost-effective, critical biologic medications to patients world-wide," he added.
Dr Reddy's shares were trading 3.49 per cent up at Rs 1,295.80 apiece on BSE.
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The tribunal that was meant to fast-track restructuring approvals found itself swamped with thousands of bankruptcy cases, in addition to other company law matters. The transfer of jurisdiction achieved one goal, moving matters out of the general courts, but it also inadvertently concentrated a vast array of complex proceedings (from mergers to insolvency to shareholder disputes) in a single institution, leading to bottlenecks in the restructuring approval process once data on NCLT case pendency and throughput underscore the severity of the challenge. As of March 2025, over 15,000 cases were pending before the NCLT. This congestion directly translates into delays. On average, companies must wait 9 to 12 months or more from the time of filing a scheme of arrangement to finally get NCLT approval. It is not uncommon for straightforward mergers, even those approved by all shareholders and regulators, to languish for several months awaiting a tribunal hearing and order. 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Such a dedicated body would bring several advantages: it would build expertise in restructuring, corporate valuation, accounting, and legal compliance for merger schemes, leading to more consistent and informed decisions; it would be more accessible; and it could maintain faster turnaround times. In essence, unlisted companies would get a regulator dedicated to their restructuring needs, ensuring they are not left behind in the push for listed companies, a compelling case can be made that the final approval of merger/demerger schemes should be handled by the SEBI, without requiring NCLT intervention. SEBI is already deeply involved in the process. As the capital markets regulator, it reviews and comments on every scheme of arrangement involving a listed firm. No listed company merger or demerger can even be filed at NCLT without prior SEBI approval and a compliance certificate from the stock exchange. In other words, SEBI serves as a first-line gatekeeper. SEBI has the expertise and mandate to protect investors, which is the core concern in listed-company restructurings. The NCLT's authority in such cases is primarily to act as a watchdog, ensuring the procedure was fair, minority shareholders and creditors were not short-changed, and all legal formalities are in order. Thus, by the time a scheme has passed through SEBI and shareholder approvals, the role left for NCLT is quite limited and arguably adds redundant delay.A useful precedent exists in India's banking sector. Bank mergers do not go to NCLT at all. They are governed by a separate mechanism under the Banking Regulation Act, wherein the final authority to sanction the merger lies with the RBI, not a court or tribunal. This framework has worked well to facilitate faster consolidation in the banking industry, a testament to the efficacy of this could play an analogous role for listed non-bank companies, where it could act as a nodal authority, cutting out several months of waiting and procedural hearings, leading to shorter timelines for deal closure, reduced legal uncertainty, and one less layer of regulatory cost for listed-company schemes entirely to SEBI, expanding fast-track merger eligibility, and creating a dedicated Corporate Restructuring Authority under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for unlisted firms would not only cut down on procedural bottlenecks but also align India's business landscape with the regulatory agility of leading economies. This must be a timely reform to power the
