Manoj Dorlikar

Director Operation

India's Pharma Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) industry is experiencing a surge in demand due to efficient drug development solutions and their cost-effectiveness. Pharmaceutical companies have started relying on CDMOs to streamline their drug development and manufacturing processes, allowing them to focus on core competencies. There is a shift towards specialized services, including formulation development, analytical testing, and regulatory support, catering to drug development projects' growing complexity. Further, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics are being adopted highly, enabling process optimization and accelerating time-to-market for new drugs.

However, customers in the Pharma CDMO industry face significant challenges, which include the need for efficient drug development and manufacturing to optimize costs to remain competitive, meet stringent timelines, and ensure compliance with stringent global regulatory standards. Maintaining a robust quality control system is crucial to ensure product safety and meet regulatory requirements. Amidst these market trends and challenges, Curia stands as a leading CDMO dedicated to transforming innovative ideas into tangible solutions. The company offers a comprehensive range of products and services spanning the entire drug development process. With a focus on close collaboration with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, Curia drives business success while enhancing patient well-being worldwide. By establishing the Global Shared Services (GSS) center and quality control center in Hyderabad and Aurangabad, India, Curia has created a scalable and cost-efficient platform for growth.

Muralikrishna Valluri, Senior Director

The GSS at Curia has been designed to deliver best-inclass business support services to Curia entities and its consolidated subsidiaries via a scalable service delivery model that is efficient, effective and that enables Curia to better serve our customers and reach our strategic targets. Underpinning our GSS delivery model is our goal to become an employer of choice in Hyderabad city by providing our GSS employees with a winning culture that is rich in career development opportunities, talent development, and rewards and recognition. The GSS is a multi-functional strategic service center that delivers world-class business support services across the Curia network. The GSS is an important component to Curia’s future growth strategy and objectives and is expected to be an ongoing source of value creation says Dhiraj Sonawane, Head of GSS at Curia.

Curia, a prominent global CDMO, empowers pharmaceutical and biotech partners to realize their visions. With a legacy dating back to 1991 as Albany Molecular Research, the firm has evolved into a dynamic force. From ideation to tangible impact, the company's comprehensive suite of services spans drug development, featuring tailored solutions for diverse needs. The company offers unparalleled expertise, scalability, and end-to-end API research and development capabilities, cementing its position as a trusted partner in transforming ideas into impactful solutions.

Dhiraj Sonawane, Head of Global Shared Services

Curia has successfully navigated challenges in setting up shared services globally, ensuring service delivery, continuous improvement, and people management. Since its establishment, Curia has grown as a renowned custom research organization, supporting R&D programs and offering various services, from lead generation to preclinical candidates, including medicinal chemistry, custom synthesis, process R&D, and analytical development. “Curia's process research and development capabilities and emphasis on IP, safety, costs, and delivery make it a trusted partner in the pharmaceutical industry”, says Muralikrishna Valluri, Senior Director at Curia.

Advancing Healthcare Services

Curia offers a comprehensive range of products and services to support the entire drug development spectrum. The company's expertise spans various vital areas, including medicinal chemistry, custom synthesis, process R&D, and analytical development. The firm specializes in hit expansion through high-throughput synthesis and the design of novel analogs using both conventional and computational methods. Additionally, Curia excels in lead optimization, ensuring potency, selectivity, in vivo efficacy, PK/PD profile, safety, and toxicity profile. The company's synthetic chemistry services encompass a wide range of capabilities, such as reference standards, labeled compounds, asymmetric synthesis, organometallic chemistry, parallel synthesis, peptides, nucleosides, carbohydrate chemistry, PEGylated compound synthesis, high-pressure reactions, photochemistry, electrochemistry, and flow chemistry. Curia's diverse product and service offerings position the company as a versatile partner for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout the drug development process.

Accelerating Breakthroughs in Pharmaceutical Science

Curia sets itself apart from competitors through its comprehensive range of products and services which covers the entire drug development spectrum, providing a onestop solution for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Secondly, the company's GSS center in Hyderabad and quality center in Aurangabad ensure efficient and cost-effective business support services, promoting scalability and process standardization. Curia's focus on continuous improvement and insights-driven decision-making enhances compliance, control, and operational excellence. Furthermore, Curia's commitment to being an employer of choice fosters a winning culture, attracting top talent and providing ample career development opportunities. These factors combined make Curia a trusted partner in boosting business performance and delivering real-world impact in the pharmaceutical industry. Curia Hyderabad differentiates itself through its strong focus on chemical process safety. Process safety considerations are prioritized from the project initiation stage, ensuring safety measures are implemented early on. The company's thorough evaluation process includes KRM consideration, reagent and route selection, experimental planning, batch size selection, and equipment choice.

Curia also utilizes advanced tools like Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Reaction Calorimetry (RC1), and Thermal Screening Unit (TSU) for scale-up purposes. Additionally, the collaboration between Curia Hyderabad and the global process safety team enhances its expertise in this critical area. The company's extensive capabilities in asymmetric synthesis, organometallic chemistry, flow chemistry, and bio-catalysis further distinguish it. The company’s wellequipped facilities, including kilo labs, reactors, vacuum and cryogenic setups, chromatography systems, and safety study instruments, highlight the commitment to quality and innovation.

Path Ahead

Curia's future roadmap focuses on continued growth and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. The company aims to strengthen its position as a leading CDMO by expanding the service offerings, investing in cutting-edge technologies, and fostering strategic collaborations. Curia is committed to advancing its capabilities in process research, development, and manufacturing while strongly emphasizing quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Through these initiatives, Curia strives to drive transformative impact in drug development and enhance its reputation as a trusted partner in the global healthcare landscape.