Female Health gets go-ahead in India

CHICAGO (April 9)—Female Health Co. has received the go-ahead from the Indian government to begin importing and selling its FC Female Condom in the country. The company and its Indian partner, Hindustan Latex Ltd., plan to launch the product in August in the country, which has a population of about 1 billion, once it's completed final acceptability studies. The product currently is available in about 100 countries, according to Female Health. Hindustan has an extensive sales and marketing force in India with over 1,000 wholesalers and more than 350,000 retail outlets for its products, Hindustan said. Female Health also has filed a patent for a second-generation version of the polyurethane-based female condom. The patent covers a synthetic latex-nitrile mixed product that the firm anticipates will offer the same physical qualities and performance of its initial offering, but it can be produced at a significantly reduced cost, according to the company. Studies are currently being conducted.