BioVoice News October 2017 Issue 5 Volume 2 | Page 43

disease patients and have made a long term commitment to the India market. Our core therapeutic areas are Hematology and Immunology. We plan to expand therapeutic area leadership by enhancing commercial capabilities, increasing global footprint and broadening portfolio of best-in-class products. Shire believes that people living with rare diseases should have the same access to treatment as those with more prevalent conditions. We want to be a champion and a voice for patients in calling for equity of access. in India. Prior to this initiative, there was no inclusion or mention of rare diseases in the National Health policy. The realities of the current situation have to be acknowledged and proper measures need to be taken when it comes to rare diseases. We feel very positive about the government efforts to create access to healthcare for all. What are the primary product offerings of Shire in India? We are the champion for rare How has the company performed in the last fiscal year? What are your expectations in terms of growth in the current FY? In 2016, we took a big step forward on our journey to become the leading global biotech company focused on rare diseases. We almost doubled our annual revenue to $11 billion, increased our therapeutic areas to seven, and quadrupled our employees to approximately 24,000. We continue to focus on commercial execution and new product launches, including BIOVOICENEWS.COM 43