Zydus Cadila, one of India's leading pharmaceutical companies and a global healthcare provider, has acquired Italian research firm Etna Biotech, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dutch Biopharma company Crucell NV.

The deal, which marks Zydus Cadila's first acquisition in the research space, offers the group a highly evolved research platform for developing new vaccines and technology, the company said in a release.

The company, however, did not disclose the cost of acquisition.

Crucell which was focused on biologicals entered the vaccine space with the acquisition of Berna Biotech, a globally renowned, specialised vaccine company. Etna was the dedicated research and development wing of Berna Biotech.

Etna Biotech based in Catania, Italy, focuses on research and development of vaccines. Currently, Etna Biotech has several innovative technologies and vaccines at different development stages in its pipeline. Prominent among those are the programmes for developing vaccines against Hepatitis using the Virosome vaccine technology platform; and against malaria and HPV using the measles technology platform.

The global vaccine industry, still a restricted area meant for companies with specialised technology and cutting edge research, is forecast to grow by nearly 18 per cent by 2010, which is roughly three times the growth of the global pharmaceutical industry, research and development of vaccines have emerged as a major focus area in recent times.

''As an integrated player in the field of healthcare, we have always been exploring opportunities that can take us to the next level of excellence. With this acquisition we will be at the forefront of innovation for vaccine research and development,'' chairman and managing director Pankaj R. Patel said.

''This transaction is further proof that we are committed to focus on the strengths of our core business and with Zydus as the new owner of Etna we are very pleased that our employees and partners will be in good hands going forward'', said Crucell's chief executive Ronald Brus.

Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of healthcare products, ranging from API to formulations, animal health products and cosmeceuticals.

The group has global operations in four continents spread across the US, Europe, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and 25 other emerging markets. It has  over 9,500 employees worldwide.