Pharmaceutical firm Piramal Healthcare Ltd has tied up with privately owned French pharmaceutical firm Pierre Fabre Group, to launch new dermo cosmetic range ''Ducray'' comprising Ducray Hair Care, Ducray Skin Care and  A-Derma. 

The A-Derma range contains Rhealba Oat, which provides relief to sensitive or irritated skin while  Ducray hair care focuses on scalp and hair care solutions, Ducray skin care focuses on skin comfort. 

Swati Piramal, Director said that Piramal will sell the products licensed from Pierre Fabre Group, through its marketing network in India, hoped to create a niche in dermo-cosmetics with this range in India.

The products are derived from plants, the active plant ingredients will be made in France with the formulation done in India. The two companies have invested Rs 10 crore in setting up the required infrastructure in India. This, Dr Piramal says, has helped to bring down the price of the products, the benefit of which will be passed on to the consumers.

Ducray products will be priced between Rs 300 and Rs 500 and will be available on dermatologists' recommendation at all organized chemist stores in India and in the near future expect to sell the product over-the-counter.

''The dermo-cosmetic market in India is new and nascent but has a lot of potential. So far there is no product in this category that is being sold. Since these products are non-schedule H they will only be sold on a prescription basis from dermatologists,'' she said.

Piramal Healthcare Ltd expects to make 200 million rupees in revenue in two years from the sale of 'Ducray' range of skin and hair care products it launched on Tuesday, a senior company official said.

Pierre Bottino, director, Ducray Laboratories said  ''We hope to reach a target of Rs 20 crore in the next couple of years for these products. We also have plans to launch another 10-12 products in the coming years,'' 

The Pierre Fabre Group achieved an estimated turnover of about €1.7 billion in 2007. It employs more than 9,500 people, of whom 1,400 are in the field of research, to which Pierre Fabre dedicates 25% of its pharmaceutical turnover around five major therapeutic axes: oncology (the principal field of research with 50% of R&D investments), cardiology, central nervous system, urology and dermatology. The activities of the Pierre Fabre Group are focused upon medicine, health products and dermo-cosmetics. 

The two companies are already working together on cancer research, under a deal signed in January.