Mumbai June 30: Tata industries Ltd has picked up equity in Indigene pharmaceuticals, also a bio-pharmaceutical company with operations located in Boston and Hyderabad.

Mr. Kishore A.Chaukar, Managing director of Tata Industries, said the equity stake in Indigene was less than 30%, but over 26%.

Mr.Vaman Rao, chairman and chief Executive officer of Indigene, said the company was looking at developing innovative products for the prescription based market and the consumer health segment.

He told Business Line that the company was open to sharing intellectual property on products that were being developed, in a manner that is mutually beneficial to Indigene and the company it collaborates with. The company has been developing molecular combinations that work along multiple pathways at the same time, to tackle illness. It is also undertaking phase III clinical trials on a prospective chronic respiratory drug.

CONSUMER-HEALTH PRODUCTS: Indigene plans to launch four consumer health products in the US next year, under its own brand name. They include Relaxane (for stress). Memoryl (for memory). Pre-Tense (for nervous tension) and LAXelle, a laxative.

The Tata Group had announced its entry into pharma research last year, through Advinus therapeutics. It has, in the past, also picked up some equity in Bangalore-based Avestha Gengraine.