www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

Indian biotech therapeutic products will contribute significantly to the
pharmaceutical market globally with major contributions to developing
countries, said Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Cadila) president P.K. Ghosh at
a national conference on bio-business opportunities in India organised by
the Confederation of Indian Industry in Mumbai, November 2005.

However, with only a six per cent market share and sales of a mere $0.3
billion in the global therapeutic pie, the only way India could prepare
itself to catch up to North America, with a market share of 62 per cent, is
for Indian pharma majors to form alliances with leading biotech institutes,
said pharma experts.

"Discovery of blockbuster drugs is very expensive. Institutes and industry
should plan jointly to develop technologies that would be the prime drivers
for establishing a global mark. The emerging scenario in India is moving
towards this direction, though a little slowly. We also need more funds from
the government," added Dr Ghosh.

Foreign investors are keen on investing in Indian pharma companies and
research institutes to find the next blockbuster drug, said a pharma
consultant with clients in Singapore and the Silicon Valley.

Top research institutes in the country, such as the Central Institute of
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) in Lucknow, are involved in
genetically engineered edible vaccines, plants and fourth generation
antibiotic research.

"The anti-fungal market is valued at $4 billion and some of the molecules
being developed in India can reduce the dosage of anti-fungals by 100 to 300
per cent. One of the drugs used to treat cancer patients can only be found
in the bark of trees. Close to eight, 100-year-old trees, are being cut just
to treat one cancer patient.

"This has led to widespread tree cutting in Himachal Pradesh and in the
Himalayas. This doesn?t have to be the case as there are other methods of
enhancing chemotherapy treatment. Indian drumsticks have molecules which
enhance the absorption abilities of drugs in the body of patients undergoing
chemotherapy," said Dr S.P. Khanuja, director, CIMAP.

"Indian pharma industries are immature in dealing with academia, while
academia cannot understand deadlines set by industry," said Dr Vidita Vaidya
from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

"The problem with MoUs between the two is agreeing on intellectual property
rights. Indian academics would be thrilled to have their work featured in a
foreign scientific journal, rather than see their research products in the
Indian market," he added.

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