The patent is for a seven-year term from March 19, 1998. According to a company spokesperson, Cadila has also applied for a world-wide patent for this technology. The company has successfully developed and marketed Amoxycillin, Amoxycillin and Cloxacillin formulations incorporating Lactobacillus Sporogenes for the first time. These product formulations, with a lactobacillus advantage, significantly reduce the incidence of drug induced diarrhoea and are known to bring about significant improvements.

Usually, when micro-organisms are kept along with anti-infective agents (antibiotics), the micro-organisms die due to the effect of anti-infective agents. Live micro-organisms are therefore used to eliminate or treat side effects of anti-infective agents like gastrointestinal upsets, antibiotic induced diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis which is a life-threatening condition requiring hospitalisation and extensive therapy.

Cadila Pharmaceuticals markets the Amoxycillin and Lactobacillus combination under the brand name LMX. Launched in February 1998, LMX has registered, according to an ORG survey, a stupendous 159 per cent growth rate in 1999. This compares well to the Amoxycillin market growth rate for the year which stood at a miniscule 1.38 per cent.

Another novel formulation of the company is Symbiotik - an Amoxycillin and Cloxacillin formulation with a lactobacillus advantage. Launched in May 1997, Symbiotik is marketed by yet another marketing arm of Cadila Pharma, Le Santo. In 1999, Symbiotik registered an 82 per cent growth rate compared to the Amoxycillin and Cloxacillin segment which grew by only 23 per cent. Both these products have already entered the list of highest selling top 250 products in the Indian market and enjoy more than 15 per cent market share in their respective product sub-groups. On the prescription front, according to C-MARC data, LMX grew at the rate of 141 per cent while the Amoxycillin group of products grew at a negative growth rate of 11 per cent in 1999.