Solara Active Pharma

About Solara Active Pharma

Solara Active Pharma Sciences Limited is a pure-play manufacturer of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) with a global footprint spanning over 75 countries. The company was incorporated on February 23, 2017, as SSL Pharma Sciences Limited, and its name was changed to Solara Active Pharma Sciences in March 2017. Solara was formed through a demerger of the commodity API business of Strides Shasun Ltd. (now Strides Pharma Science) and the human API business of Sequent Scientific Ltd. This strategic move created a focused API entity, leveraging a combined legacy of over three decades from its parent companies. The demerger became effective on March 31, 2018.

The company's business model is centered on two primary segments: the manufacturing and sale of APIs, which constitutes over 90% of its revenue, and Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS). Solara serves other pharmaceutical companies by providing a portfolio of over 60 commercial APIs and developing new ones. The product range caters to various therapeutic areas, including anthelmintic, anti-malaria, anti-infective, and anti-inflammatory segments. A significant portion of its revenue is generated from its top 10 molecules. The CRAMS division offers services from discovery to late-phase commercial manufacturing, capitalizing on the trend of pharmaceutical giants outsourcing R&D and manufacturing to more cost-effective regions like India.

Solara operates six manufacturing facilities across India in locations such as Puducherry, Cuddalore, Mangalore, and Visakhapatnam, which are approved by international regulatory bodies including the USFDA and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM). This robust manufacturing and regulatory backbone is supported by two dedicated R&D centers in Chennai and Bengaluru, staffed by over 140 scientists. The company is strategically shifting its focus from lower-margin, non-regulated markets to higher-value regulated markets, which already account for a significant portion of its business. As part of its restructuring, Solara is also planning a demerger of its CRAMS and Polymers business into a new entity to be called Synthix Global Pharma Solutions, aiming to unlock further value.