Genzyme, ICGEB to focus on neglected diseases

Genzyme, a global leader in biotechnology, and the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), a not-for-profit research and development organization, have announced a new research collaboration to advance treatments for neglected diseases. The collaboration between Genzyme and ICGEB will initially focus on the development of new, improved treatments for malaria, a debilitating infectious disease of developing countries.

ICGEB and Genzyme scientists are currently targeting Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, increasingly resistant parasites that cause up to 65 percent of malaria in India. ICGEB has already begun to identify promising targets that, with the drug development expertise of Genzyme, could lead to drug compounds effective against malaria. The research will take place both in ICGEB's laboratories in New Delhi, India and in Genzyme's facilities in Waltham, Mass., USA.

Under the agreement, scientists from Genzyme and ICGEB are expected to work in each other's laboratories from time to time. The collaboration includes an innovative approach to intellectual property rights, providing ICGEB rights to commercial uses within the field of neglected disease on a royalty-free basis.

Welcoming the new initiative, Dr M K Bhan, secretary of the Department of Biotechnology of the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology, said, "This is an innovative new model for translational research through public-private partnerships. My best wishes to ICGEB and Genzyme for a fruitful and successful collaboration."

Henri A. Termeer, chairman and chief executive officer of Genzyme Corporation said, "The ICGEB is unlocking new approaches to prevent malaria, and Genzyme is ready to build on their momentum and move these promising targets through the drug discovery process, ultimately bringing critical treatments to people at risk in the developing world. We look forward to building a productive, sustainable partnership with ICGEB."

Virander Chauhan, director of ICGEB, New Delhi, said, "We are excited about this new collaboration. Combining ICGEB's domain knowledge in malaria with Genzyme's expertise in drug development opens up new possibilities for the development of novel strategies to combat malaria."

Both organizations bring strong capabilities in biotechnology research and drug development. The ICGEB is a premier global research organization, with the mandate to use biotechnology to find solutions to problems of the developing world. Funded in part by the Department of Biotechnology of the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it conducts innovative research in life sciences and strengthens the research capabilities of its 57 member countries through training, funding programs and advisory services.

ICON opens full service central laboratory in India

ICON Central Laboratories, a division of ICON PLC, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, has announced the opening of a full service central laboratory in Bangalore.

The purpose-built, 14,000 sq ft facility expands ICON Central Laboratories' existing network of laboratories located in Farmingdale, New York; Dublin, Ireland and Singapore. The new laboratory is in the process of receiving CAP (College of American Pathologists) and NABL (National Accreditation Board for Laboratory Testing) accreditation.

"India has become a key region for global clinical trials, which has greatly boosted the demand for local laboratory testing within a global laboratory network," commented Bob Scott-Edwards, president, ICON Central Laboratories.

The company has also appointed Dr Anuradha Rajput as general manager, ICON Central Laboratories India. Prior to joining ICON, for eight years Dr Anuradha Rajput worked as the general manager and laboratory director with Clinigene International.

OSE launches India operations

Oncology Services Europe (OSE), a full service CRO, specialized in clinical drug development in Oncology launched its India operations with the establishment of independent clinical services company Oncology Services India (OSI) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. OSI will offer a complete clinical service range from Phase I (first in human) to Phase IV (PMS) trials.

With commencement of Indian operations, the basis of a new international "Oncology Specialist" within the global CRO business has been established. The new entity in India combines the best of clinical research capabilities of Europe and India.

Announcing the initiative, chief executive officer of Oncology Services India (OSI), Dr Vimal Sanghavi, said, "Oncology Services is looking to replicate the success of its European experience of multi-centric global trials in Indian subcontinent. Clinical trials have grown increasingly global, larger and more complex. Government regulations are progressively more stringent, requiring more studies with larger patient populations especially in Oncology. India is a favorable destination for conducting multinational clinical trials in the oncology segment.

Span Diagnostics, Nihon Kohden open manufacturing facility

Span Diagnostics Ltd (SDL) a leading player in diagnostics has joined with Nihon Kohden, a Japanese medical electronics giant to distribute its hematology analyzers in India few years ago. Span is a pioneer of high quality products for pathology and clinical laboratories in India. In the beginning of this year, Span and Nihon Kohden have announced a joint venture company to manufacture reagents for the hematology analyzer named as "Span Nihon Kohden Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd" (SNKDPL) on October 9.

Dr P K Desai, chairman of SDL, Veeral Desai, managing director of SDL and Kazuo Ogino, chairman of Nihon Kohden Corporation and Kunio Shino Akiz, director of Nihon Kohden Corporation have inaugurated the manufacturing facility at Sachin, Surat.

When functioning at its full capacity, this plant will ensure consistent supply of quality reagents in India to reinforce Span's commitments to quality diagnosis.

Advinus Therapeutics begins US operations

Advinus Therapeutics, a Tata group, contract research services and pharmaceutical drug discovery company, based in Bangalore, has announced that it has started its US operations by incorporating a wholly owned subsidiary, Advinus Therapeutics Inc. The US Company will be operating out of its office in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. In addition, the company also announced that it has appointed Dr Eric Nelson as its global head of business development, marketing and strategy.

Dr Nelson with over 20 years of corporate and business development experience with both large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies would be based out of the company's US office and will have the responsibility of managing its operations.

Commenting on the US operations, Dr Rashmi Barbhaiya, the CEO and managing director of the company said, "Advinus has a very large and growing client base in the US. In addition we now have multiple drug discovery alliances and collaborations with both large pharma and biotechs based out of the US. One of the main reasons to start the US operations of our company is to build on these relationships and to expand into new ones."

Rajiv Malik, the senior VP and head of business operations at Advinus added, "Having Eric as our head of business development in the US would help bridge the distance that most US companies feel when working with R&D companies in this part of the world. Now a US based company does not have to wait till the end of business day for them to be able to talk to us."

Tata Chemicals signs a binding agreement with JOil

Tata C hemicals' wholly owned subsidiary, Tata Chemicals Asia Pacific Pvt Ltd, has entered into definitive agreements to invest S$25 million in JOil (Singapore) Pvt Ltd. JOil, a Jatropha seedling company based in Singapore, has been set up by the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Ltd (TLL), along with other investors in Singapore.

Speaking on this development, Homi Khusrokhan, managing director, Tata Chemicals, said, "Jatropha has been identified as an ideal starting material for bio-diesel production for countries like India, because it can be grown on wasteland. However, the non-availability of good quality planting material has resulted in highly variable yields from the cultivation carried out so far. Through this joint venture we would like to access some of the excellent work done by Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory on this plant and make the superior varieties of Jatropha available to those interested in its cultivation. It also holds great promise for our own bio-fuels programme."

By virtue of this agreement, Tata Chemicals will get exclusive marketing rights for JOil's Jatropha seedlings in India and East Africa and a preferential price for seedlings it requires for its own cultivation of Jatropha.

JOil will set up tissue culture labs in various locations, and market Jatropha seedlings produced by using the micro-propagation technology developed by TLL. TLL has done a considerable amount of original work on developing superior elite varieties of Jatropha, which becomes productive sooner than other known varieties and gives improved and more consistent yields.

Bill Gates lauds India's polio eradication drive

Software tycoon, Bill Gates has expressed confidence that polio can be successfully eradicated with India leading the way. He also urged health officials to consider adding new tools to strengthen the existing polio eradication program.

Prior to addressing the media in New Delhi, Bill Gates observed surveillance, vaccination, and outbreak response activities in Delhi, visited the family of a young girl who was recently diagnosed with polio, and met with Indian health officials and polio experts.

"Being successful in polio is of incredible importance to public health so it is important we do everything possible to accelerate eradication. India has made an impressive commitment and I applaud the consideration of innovative approaches including the addition of IPV campaigns and the use of a bivalent vaccine," said Bill Gates.

Global eradication efforts have reduced annual cases of polio worldwide by more than 99 percent. India is one of only four countries in the world where polio is still endemic. Bill Gates said that there are many reasons for optimism that India can prevail against polio and that the country is pivotal to showing that eradication is possible.

Bill Gates commended the extraordinary work of the government and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which includes Rotary International, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control. He also expressed his gratitude to Indian parents and volunteers for their continued participation in immunization campaigns to protect children from polio.

Cabinet nod for UNESCO's biotech institution

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the establishment of the UNESCO Regional Centre for Training and Education in Biotechnology at Faridabad, Haryana as a Category-II Institution of UNESCO with the revised budget of Rs 99.55 crore.

The centre would act as the focal point for cooperation amongst the members' countries of the Asian region in Biotechnology. The centre would be a regional hub for interdisciplinary education and training in biotechnology with emphasis on novel education program relevant to industry, including bio-drug discovery science, nano-science & medicine, imaging techniques, designer crops, bioengineering and biomaterials, intellectual property, technology transfer and regulation to fulfill and overcome the acute shortage of skilled human resources in India.

A Board of Governors will govern the Centre with representations from India, UNESCO and the member countries. Collaboration with UNESCO will ensure gateways to international institutions such as European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and International Union of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (IUBMB) and usher in skill acquisition in the global context.

The Centre will be the first ever inter-disciplinary institution in life sciences and biotechnology in India with unique international character to offer novel educational and training courses in the interdisciplinary and related areas of biotechnology. It would also be a place for designing new programs for education and training, which could be then assimilated by the existing universities in India and the region.

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