MC EXCLUSIVE French drugmaker Servier targets India expansion with cancer therapies, R&D

Aurelien Breton Servier India

French pharma player Servier is doubling down on India with a bold expansion strategy. The company is looking to grow its anti-cancer drug portfolio, broaden legacy branded generics and also explore clinical trials, among others, Aurélien Breton, the managing director of Servier India, said in an interview to Moneycontrol.

“We’re not here to walk away after patents expire,” Breton said. “We continue to promote and invest in our products because we believe in their value.”

Breton, who took charge of India operations in 2024, is having an eventful time, as he oversees the rollout of the company's innovative anti-cancer portfolio from the oncology division built from scratch.

The oncology team has grown from zero to over 100 in just 18 months, with a focus to reach tier 2 and 3 cities.

The company doesn't have any plans to enter into partnerships with local companies for distribution of its oncology portfolio, Breton said.

“We’re handling this ourselves,” he said, adding the niche nature of oncology allows for a focused, in-house approach rather than partnering with local firms.

Oncology portfolio

The company launched chemotherapy drug Onivyde (nanoliposomal irinotecan) for hard-to-treat metastatic pancreatic cancer in October.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease that spreads rapidly, often to other parts of the body and has limited treatment options.

Early this month, the company launched Tibsovo (ivosidenib), a first-in-class targeted therapy for rare IDH1-mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer).

Servier has also submitted brain tumour drug vorasidenib for regulatory approval in India and plans to launch it next year. The drug was approved in the US in August.

“We’ve submitted the file for approval mid-April. So then it is normal regulatory timelines. It can go from six months to a year if everything goes well,” Breton said.

Breton explained that the drug is a small molecule designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and offer years of additional life in good health for patients in the 35–45 age group, which is vulnerable to gliomas.

A foundation-led model

Unlike most pharma giants, Servier, governed by a non-profit foundation, operates without shareholders.

“There are no dividends going out of the foundation,” Breton said. “That allows us to invest more in R&D — 20 percent of our earnings go back into research.” This structure enables Servier to pursue high-risk, high-reward innovation, focusing on diseases with unmet needs rather than chasing “me-too” products, he said.

Globally, Servier reported revenues of euro 5.9 billion in FY24 , with an EBITDA margin of 22.2 percent, and aims to hit euro 10 billion by 2030. The company’s oncology revenue alone crossed euro1.43 billion, up 33 percent year-on-year.

India bet

While India's contribution to Servier's global revenue is minuscule, Breton said it has huge potential to grow in the years ahead due to the size of the population, rising government spending and insurance penetration.

Servier, which has been in India since 1986, has a team of nearly 700 employees, with plans to scale to Rs 1,000 crore in revenue within two years.

“We’re expanding our reach beyond metros into tier 2 and tier 3 cities,” Breton said. “We’ve increased our field force by 30–40 percent to deepen access.”

The company’s legacy portfolio — focused on cardiovascular, diabetes, venous disease, and hypertension — continues to be a growth driver.

Flagship brands like Diamicron (sulfonylurea for diabetes), Flavedon (for angina), and Daflon (for venous insufficiency and piles) remain central to Servier’s India strategy.

Daflon is made from Indian-sourced green oranges, a sustainable supply chain that supports thousands of local farmers. “It’s a fascinating product,” Breton said. “We turn what would be waste into a powerful antioxidant therapy.”

Servier is also developing single-pill combinations in India for both domestic and global markets. “We’ve filed one product already and plan to register many more,” Breton said. These formulations will be manufactured in India using Servier’s active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), ensuring quality and consistency.

The company is exploring clinical trials in India, aiming to include Indian patients in global studies. “We need to reflect genetic diversity and accelerate timelines,” Breton said. “India offers speed, scale, and cost-efficiency.”

Servier is also looking at a global capability centre (GCC) in India. “We’re advocating internally for this,” Breton said. “India has the talent, the ecosystem, and the momentum.”

Beyond oncology

Beyond oncology, Servier is investing in neurology and neuroinflammation, targeting rare movement disorders and refractory epilepsy. “We’re applying our oncology expertise to neurological diseases,” Breton said. “It’s a natural extension.”

The company’s pipeline includes partnerships with Chinese and American biotechs, including a recent deal with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biopharma Black Diamond Therapeutics for a novel therapy in gastric and lung cancers.