Orchid Pharma (NSE/BSE), Chennai-based, leading pharmaceutical company catering across the pharmaceutical value chain (discovery to delivery) with expertise in R&D and marketing, has appointed Gurgaon-based Cumulus Public Relations as its official communications partner.  After almost 2 decades of a strong, multi-therapeutic presence in the domestic market, across segments, primarily famous for its Cephalosporins, Orchid pivoted to focus on bulk Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) business in recent years.  Orchid’s global reach extends beyond the 50 pharmaceutical companies in India, through alliances and partnerships with globally reputed majors. Orchid is, till date, the only Indian Pharmaceutical company to have invented a New Chemical Entity (NCE), which was recently approved under the New Drug Application (NDA) process by USFDA, and also by European Authorities.Having established its credentials in research, manufacturing, and marketing, and armed with infusion of funds from its new owners (Dhanuka Laboratories, of the Dhanuka Group), Orchid Pharma is poised re-enter the domestic formulations market, with a commitment to be a catalyst in addressing the challenges of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a global concern which is particularly acute in India. According to a new WHO report, globally there are estimated 4.95 million deaths per year associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Low and middle-income countries bear the burden of drug-resistant infections. Speaking on the appointment of Cumulus as its communication partner, Mr. Manish Dhanuka, MD - Orchid Pharma, said, “Orchid Pharma is on a determined, future-forward path with several significant innovations at play. One of our most strategic, critical priorities is to be a catalyst in bringing multiple industry and community stakeholders together to address the problem of Antimicrobial-Resistance. With the support of a strategic communication specialist like Cumulus, we hope to reshape the narrative within the healthcare ecosystem.” Mr. Rajnish Rohatgi, CEO of the newly formed Orchid AMS division that will focus on domestic formulations market, said: “We hope to change the way antibiotics have been sold in India, and focus on promoting rational use, that is aimed at preserving and prolonging the life of the limited numbers of antibiotics that the pathogens have not yet become resistant to. A leading infection control doctor had told me 10 years ago that soon the day will come when a patient going into a hospital would be like a soldier walking into a minefield. He recently told me “That day has come”. Expressing enthusiasm at the new mandate, Reena Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Cumulus, said, “For storytellers today, there is nothing more fulfilling than crafting a narrative that blends business goals with a powerful purpose – the Orchid Pharma mandate perfectly embodies this idea. As communications partner to a reputable healthcare company driven by a passionate team, we are eager to create a positive impact that resonates through the healthcare ecosystem.”