Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila group has filed 12 Abbreviated New Drug Applications in fiscal 2003-04 even as the company has set a target to file 16-18 ANDAs in the current financial year.

The group started the process with two ANDAs in November 2003 and ended the year with 12, which have an estimated market of $7.4 billion in the US, the entity said in a release on Thursday.

The group plans to launch nine of these drugs from July 2005, the market for which is estimated at $3.5 billion. The remaining three drugs with an estimated market size of $3.9 billion would be launched later, it said.

On the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients front, the group has filed 12 Drug Master Files so far and plans to file 16-18 DMFs more in the coming year, it said.

ANDA approvals for generic formulations and DMF listings for APIs are a prerequisite for any pharma company looking to enter the US generic market.