Ranbaxy, department of science and technology to jointly develop new drugs

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has entered into a collaborative agreement with the government of India's department of science and technology (DST) New Delhi, to undertake new drug discovery research (NDDR). Under the agreement, DST will provide financial support by way of soft loans to the company to undertake NDDR activity.

According to Dr Pradip Bhatnagar, VP, new drug development research, Ranbaxy, said, "This public-private partnership will enable research-oriented companies like Ranbaxy to explore and develop innovative medicines at affordable costs and thereby combat diseases more effectively".

Two NDDR programmes in the therapeutic areas of anti-infective and inflammation, have been identified by the two organisations. The funding by DST will enable Ranbaxy to conduct the pre clinical toxicity and safety studies of Ranbaxy's NCEs in these areas and take the molecules in to human Phase-I clinical trials. Results from these studies would facilitate the Ranbaxy's molecule's progression to market.

The department of science and technology, which was established in 1971 to promote science and technology in the country, has implemented a scheme under the aegis of 'drugs and pharmaceuticals research programme', introduced in 1994-95, that provides loans to in-house R&D laboratories and scientific and industrial research organisations. DST.