Pharma Firm 'Alliance' Partners with Alniche to Market Nizral & Nizoral in India

The healthcare group, Alliance is pleased to announce that it has appointed ‘Alniche’ as its exclusive marketing partner in India to market and distribute the Nizral/Nizoral range of formulations. Transfer of the business was successfully concluded during September.

Sitting (R-L): Mr. Alex Duggan - Chief Commercial Officer, Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited, Mr. Girish Arora - Founder & MD, Alniche Life Sciences, Mr. Rajiv Ghildiyal - Regional Business Director, Central Asia Middle East and Pacific, Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited, Ms. Ritu Hasija - Director Corporate Affairs, Alniche Life Sciences, Standing: Alniche Life Sciences Leadership Team

Rajiv Ghildiyal, Alliance's Regional Business Director – Central Asia, Middle-East & Pacific commented, "With the acquisition of a great brand comes great responsibility, as we look to take over and maintain the long-standing quality, heritage and brand awareness built by our J&J colleagues over the past decades. Together with the marketing and distribution excellence of our local partner Alniche Life Sciences, we aim to consolidate and expand this awareness and reach beyond Metro's and Class A towns so that more of the Indian population can benefit from this time-tested remedy for scalp and related skin conditions."

Alniche Pharmaceuticals - Nizral Product

Mr. Girish Arora, Founder and Managing Director of Alniche Lifesciences expressed, "Nizral is a welcome addition in our product portfolio. With Nizral's excellent brand equity and seal of quality Alniche is confident to build this brand to attain leader position in Anti-dandruff market."

Alliance acquired J&J's Nizoral range of shampoos in 2018 for the Asia Pacific region.

In 2018, Alliance further strengthened its consumer healthcare portfolio with the acquisition of medicated antidandruff shampoo and lotion (lotion currently only available in Japan), Nizoral, from Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (a member of the Johnson & Johnson group) for the APAC (Asia Pacific) region. This acquisition significantly increased Alliance's presence in the 15 countries where Nizoral is currently registered. In India, Nizoral is registered as Nizral 2% and Nizoral 1%, both part of this acquisition.

Nizoral's API, ketoconazole (antifungal) was discovered by Janssen in 1976. With more than 50 clinical studies carried out, it is one of the most widely prescribed anti-fungal medicine in the world, treating seborrheic capitis (dandruff), seborrheic dermatitis, pityriasis versicolor.

Dandruff affects around half of the adult population and India's ethical and over the counter Medicated Shampoo market is estimated to be worth around £70m GBP (roughly INR 650 crores). Nizral 2% (exclusive to ethical channels) and Nizoral 1% (over-the-counter availability) with its strong clinical heritage, well established safety profile and long history of use continues to be one of the top Medicated Anti-dandruff brands in India. Nizral continues to be manufactured within the same state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities of Encube Ethicals who continue to be the manufacturer for this product. 

About Alliance

From its origins in the UK more than 20 years ago, Alliance Pharma plc (AIM: APH) has grown to become a significant international healthcare group, marketing more than 90 consumer healthcare brands and prescription medicines in over 100 countries world-wide and employing over 200 people.

Recent years have seen a broadening in the scope of Alliance's product portfolio. In addition to the established niche prescription products which formed the original focus of the Group's activities, the Group's portfolio now includes a significant number of consumer products, covering a wide range of therapy areas.

In addition to its UK presence, the Group now has eight further offices across Europe, the Far East and the US. This geographic presence is enhanced by a broad network of international distributors, covering more than 100 countries worldwide.

To demonstrate its commitment to the Indian market, Alliance CHC (India) Private Limited was incorporated during August 2020, with its office located in the bustling city of Mumbai.

About Alniche

Alniche Life Sciences is one of India's fastest growing Pharma company based in New Delhi, serves patients and the medical fraternity by offering specialized, high-quality, effective, affordable medicines and wellness products. Alniche has carved a firm position for itself in the Indian Pharma market through a focused approach for key brands and deep engagement with doctors. Their 700 sales team members are covering 70,000 doctors and 30,000 hospitals with a strong portfolio of both domestic & licensed brands from global partners, in the areas of Nephrology, Critical care, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Neurology and Advanced wound care. We are ranked one of the top company in Renal care and Critical care.

Alniche has partnered with global pharma organizations to bring novel global brands in India including Alliance (UK), J W Life Science (Korea), Adhezion Biomedical Inc. (USA), FzioMed (USA), PT Dermozone Pratama (Indonesia), Biovite (Australia), and Dongkook (Korea).