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AstraZeneca to boost pharmaceutical R&D in India
Tuesday, 03 June 2003, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: Global pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca Plc. plans to significantly enhance research and development (R&D) activities in India over the next few years to discover new drugs.
The Anglo-Swedish drug maker, which opened its multimillion-dollar research facility in Bangalore Monday for finding new treatments for tuberculosis, says India is poised to become its major research base.
"India has a strong base of research scientists and other professionals with good knowledge of biotechnology and data management," said Lars Walan, managing director of AstraZeneca Pharma India, the local arm of AstraZeneca Plc.
"We are very bullish about India emerging as one of the key research hubs for AstraZeneca's global business. The opening of the Bangalore research facility highlights our commitment to India," Walan told IANS.
Although India has a vast pool of cheaper, English-speaking and scientifically qualified professionals, it has so far managed to attract meagre investments from multinational drug companies for R&D activities.
Experts say weaker patent protection that the pharmaceutical companies receive for their drugs in the country acts as a major stumbling block in the way of investments.
India currently allows companies to patent only processes to make drugs and not the final product, helping other pharmaceutical firms to launch similar formulations by making minor changes in the process of manufacturing.
Walan said AstraZeneca, which has already invested $10 million for the drug discovery centre in Bangalore, would invest another $30 million over the next five years for laboratory equipment and operations costs.
The new research facility, one of the company's nine such centres the world over, was inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna on Monday.
"The centre will have more than 100 scientists who will work closely with AstraZeneca's global network of R&D centres, especially in the genomics and infection research centres in Boston (U.S.) and in Cheshire (Britain)."
Tom McKillop, chief executive officer of AstraZeneca Plc., said any drugs developed at the facility -- which would be the first new treatments for tuberculosis in 40 years -- would be sold in the developing world at low prices.
"We will make any TB medicines discovered in this centre available for clinical development and supply to the world's poorest countries at low prices in partnership with governments, healthcare systems and international agencies," he said.
Tuberculosis is diagnosed in about two million people every year in India and in more than eight million people worldwide, mostly in the developing world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Walan said AstraZeneca, which currently sells 15 medicines for cardiovascular, respiratory and oncology-related diseases in India, would introduce more new drugs in the next couple of years.
"Currently the contribution from Indian operations to AstraZeneca's global revenue is very insignificant. But it is going to change soon," he said.
"We don't see any reason why India should be different to any other country where we have our operation."
AstraZeneca Plc. is one of the top five drug makers globally with healthcare sales of over $17.8 billion and leading position in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, anaesthesia, cardiovascular and respiratory products.
Source: IANS
Source: IANS