Dr Lal Pathlabs launches Clinical Trial Laboratory

Mumbai, Apr 19 (UNI) Leading player in clinical trial business Dr Lal Pathlabs (LPL) today announced the launch of state-of-the-art Clinical Trial Laboratory at its headquarters in Gurgoan, Haryana.

Addressing mediapersons here, Dr Arvind Lal, CMD of Dr Lal Pathlabs said that clinical trial business is a multi-trillion dollar business. And the west spends a whopping USD 1.1 billion to develop new drugs in a span of 10 to 15 years.

He pinpointed that drug research and development has become an expensive business for the industrialised world particularly where destinations like India can offer solace to countries like the US and Western Europe.

At present, the quantum of the clinical trial business in India is at a nascent stage of 20 to 100 crores, which is expected to rise to Rs 6,500 crores by 2010, stressed Dr Lal.

Dr Lal Pathlabs is increasing its focus on clinical trial business for three principal reasons - global pharma companies increasingly outsource clinical trials to CROs, India's unique genetic diversity being ideal for running clinical trials, and LPl's expertise in conducting laboratory tests, said Dr Lal.

External cost pressures, Dr Lal explained, are acting as a major driver for the pharmaceutical outsourcing market and emergence of the CRO sector. Pharma companies, through outsourcing, could sharply reduce the time to develop and bring new drugs to the market.

Dr Lal said the group has invested USD one million dollars in its state-of-the-art clinical trial laboratory. Where as USD five to six million has been invested in the new upcoming non-clinical research facility at Rohini in New Delhi.

He said at present the group is undertaking 15 clinical trials which are at different stages. And will introduce nine new trials in the next month.

Dr O P Manchanda, COO, Dr Pathlabs, added that India is a preferred clinical trial destination becuase of its one billion-plus g enetically and socio-economically diverse population. Also, India has the world's largest pool of cancer and diabetes patients.

He said India is also home to a wide variety of diseases ranging from trophical infections to degenerative diseases. Therefore, for pharma majors, India is a very exciting business proposition for clinical trials.

UNI