Ranbaxy, DST to work for New Drug Discovery

New Delhi, Dec 18: Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd today said it has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Department of Science&Technology (DST) in the area of New Drug Discovery Research (NDDR).

Under the agreement, DST will provide financial support by way of soft loans to the company to undertake the NDDR activity.

''The public-private partnership (PPP) will enable research oriented companies like Ranbaxy to explore and develop innovative medicines at affordable costs and thereby combat diseases more effectively,'' company's Vice President NDDR Pradip Bhatnagar said.

Two NDDR programmes in the therapeutic areas of anti-infective and inflammation have been identified under the agreement with the company.

The funding by DST will enable the company to conduct the preclinical toxicity studies/safety studies of the company's NCEs in these areas and take the molecules into human Phase-I clinical trials.

Favourable results from these studies would facilitate the company's molecule's progression to market, a company statement issued here said.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has implemented a scheme under the aegis of ''Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research Programme'' (DPRP) that provides loans to in-house R&D laboratories and Scientific and Industrial Research Organisations (SIROs).

DST was established in 1971 with the objective of promoting science and technology activities in the country. Among its many responsibilities, is the objective to support basic and applied research throughout the country and the provision of minimum infrastructure facilities for testing and instrumentation.

The DPRP was introduced by DST in the year 1994-95, to promote inter-alia collaborative R&D in the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Sector.

UNI