Mumbai (PTI): Aventis Pharma has launched insulin drug Lantus in a prefilled disposable pen called Solostar bringing the product to India within 16 months of its launch in Germany.

"Within 16 months of the launch of Solostar in Germany, it has been introduced in India. This shows our commitment to the Indian market," Aventis Pharma Managing Director Shailesh Ayyangar told reporters.

India is the diabetes capital of the world and Lantus has a market share of 7 per cent in India. The Indian insulin market is estimated at Rs 400 crore and growing 24 per cent annually, he said.

The market for Lantus in India is at Rs 27 crore growing at 80 per cent per annum. Solostar is priced at Rs 884.

Aventis Pharma has opened a research and development centre in Goa at an investment of Rs 100 crore. "This centre would come out with off-patent molecules, drugs and combination drugs. We are targeting to get 12 compounds in a year from this centre," Ayyangar said.

The global pharma company is looking to tap new markets in India. "We are open to inorganic growth to tap tier II cities and rural markets," he said.

"We don't have products needed to enter these markets. So, we are open to partnerships and acquisitions," he said.

Aventis would be looking at anti infectives and cough syrup segments in the new markets.