The Himalaya Drug company made its foray into the rapidly growing nutraceutical space with the launch of HiOwna-Jr, a prescription-based nutritional supplement for kids in June. Leading this strategic expansion drive from the front, is president and CEO, Mr Philippe Haydon, who has been with the 82-year-old the Himalaya Drug company for more than 30 years.

Mr Haydon began his career at Himalaya in 1979 as a medical representative and has since assumed several positions within the company, culminating in his present role as CEO. In an email interview with BioSpectrum, Mr Haydon speaks about the foray into nutraceutricals, the positioning of ayurvedic products in the pharmaceutical space and his plans for the future.

What are the upcoming products in the HiOwna range?
For the last three years, scientists at our R&D center have been working on a range of nutri-health products that will offer clear therapeutic benefits. HiOwna-Jr. is the first in the series to be developed and launched.
HiOwna-Jr, which is recommended for children between the ages of two-and-10, is fortified with 13 essential vitamins and nine minerals. It has ragi (finger millet) that improves nutritive status, maricha (black pepper), a bio-availability enhancer, mandukaparni (centella), a cerebral activator, also known as ‘brain food' in ayurveda and amalaki (Indian gooseberry), an immunity enhancer and the richest source of vitamin C in nature.

HiOwna-Jr. also has the distinct advantage of being the only health supplement in India to contain pea-protein, a natural vegetable, easy to digest protein, that has an essential amino acid profile very close to the ideal protein required for human nutrition, as recommended by the WHO and FAO. It also contains colostrum, which fortifies the immune system.

Presently, how would you describe Himalaya's reach among doctors in India?
Himalaya already has a considerable equity with doctors and we enjoy their confidence being a R&D driven company. HiOwna-Jr will be marketed by around 650 medical representatives, who will reach out to doctors across the country. Currently, Himalaya's products are prescribed by over four lakh doctors globally. We realize this might result in us losing out a larger market share as compared to over-the-counter supplements, but we will continue to use this route for most of the upcoming products, as we believe that a doctor is in the best position for prescribing health supplements after understanding the specific needs of the patient.