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4 BIO CONTENT BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

17 COVER
DESIGN BY:
MAKE DOMINIX STRATEGIC
INDIA DESIGN PVT. LTD.

FREE COVER STORY 18.....................................................................................

TOP 5 TACKLING
WAYS TO
TACKLE THE OUTBREAK
OUTBREAK
Amongst other countries, coronavirus cases continue to
SPEAKINGWITH rise in India as well, with over thousands of people, who
28 had come in contact with positive cases, continue to be
under rigorous surveillance. In the given circumstances, the
“Council plans to set up industry and the government are aggressively developing
Centres of Excellence” solutions in the form of diagnostic kits, drugs and vaccines
Ranjit Madan, to help reduce this chaos.

CEO, Life Sciences Sector 30
Skill Development Council, New Delhi
“Innovation is key to bring down
32 cost of CAR-T therapy in India”
Dr Mahesh Bhalgat,
“We will continue to
invest in our India business” Chief Operation Officer,
Luca Visini, Syngene International Limited, Bengaluru

Managing Director, Eli Lilly and 34
Company (India) Pvt. Ltd, Gurugram
“Our diamond burs are
the world’s first-of-a-kind”
Malay Dikshit,

Founder & CEO,
Piscium Health Sciences, Mumbai

36 Australia.

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seeking to partner with
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AFthonuvaantydaecara&KniDnibrCeaecrteof,orH, lyldoewraebadd” Merck operates as MilliporeSigma
Charles (Chuck) Kummeth in the US and Canada.

President & CEO, Bio-Techne Corporation
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6 BIO CONTENT BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Take firmsteps

India has not been able to keep itself aside found to treat the virus, combination of HIV
from the outbreak of Coronavirus which has drugs is showing signs to be effective against it.
wrought havoc world over. While writing Some companies have offered to increase the
this article the number of positive cases in India production of the medicines proving effective.
had reached 446, showing the highest increase
of 81 cases in day. Every sixth day the number is The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation
doubling. The country is at a very crucial stage
of spread, if the virus’s pattern of spread in some (CDSCO) has given emergency approval to such
other countries is observed.
combination considering the emergency situation.
At such a crucial juncture, it is good that the State governments have been asked to designate
government has taken some important steps like
nationwide 21-day lockdown, ban on assembly hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19.

of more than five people, social distancing and Educating & disciplining the people to prevent
their contacts among each other, effective
stopping of trains & domestic flights. One day surveillance for detection of cases and their
isolation will only help in arresting the spread.
‘Janata curfew’ was also an important step in an At the same time, the preparedness to detect the
attempt to break the chain of spread. But it is very
necessary that the people should understand that disease, fight it and giving treatment and relief to
only these steps and just a day long curfew would
not be enough in the current situation. Long term patients needs to be rapidly scaled up in view of
measures to avoid contacts are needed. the possible eventuality which is being witnessed
in other countries.
The gatherings on roads or in society
compounds for clapping to appreciate medical But various issues are involved in this
teams’ work actually defeated the purpose of immediate challenge of preventing the spread,
Janata curfew. Tremendous rush to outstation
trains in main cities of the people rushing to fighting the disease and treating the patients.
go to their native places was another risky
situation. Cases of people stamped with For instance, import of Active Pharmaceutical
isolation travelling freely in trains and those
returned from abroad attending parties even Ingredients (APIs) from China is disrupted that
being sick are not good examples of effective
prevention as well as that of responsible may affect the drug production even though
citizens. These things will have to be strictly some pharma companies have offered to
stopped and avoided, if needed, by force. increase production of the existing drug proving
effective. It is good move that the government
While such steps would be necessary for has announced Rs 14000 crore package that
preventing the virus from spreading, on the would provide incentives for domestic production
other hand large scale facilities for detection of APIs to reduce dependence on imports. This
and treatment would be needed. Some private
companies have come out with test kits. But their offers hope. But along with the finances, faster
prices may prove to be a barrier for many people.
Roche has launched its test kit in the US. Its clearances will be needed to set up these units.
And even after that it will take some time to set
benefit is that it gives results in shorter time than up the units. But it will end up dependence on
imports.
the current tests. This is also important in such an
emergency situation. After the immediate medical challenges, there
will be economic challenges. A mammoth task
Though no certain medicine has yet been awaits the nations to face. What is required in

such situation is specific steps and firm handling

to make the country COVID-19 free as soon as

possible.

Milind Kokje

Chief Editor
[email protected]

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8 BIO MAIL BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Vol 18; Issue 3; March 2020

Acknowledgments

The coverage on women leaders and achievers looks awesome. Thank you for
featuring Bharat Biotech.

- Muralidharan, Hyderabad

Thank you for the lovely coverage in the March edition celebrating womanhood.
- Subhadra Dravida, Hyderabad

It is a matter of pride to figure in the top 10 of the Life Sciences incubators in the
country, as featured in BioSpectrum’s March edition. Thank you so much

- Prof. Appa Rao Podile, Hyderabad

The interaction with BaselArea.swiss has come out very well in the March edition.
- Krishna Bhatia, Mumbai

Vol 18; Issue 4; April 2020 MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications

Publisher & Managing Editor: South Region New Delhi INTERNATIONAL
Ravindra Boratkar Alok Srivastava Singapore
National Business Head- Kalyani Sharma MM Activ Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Editorial: Media Coordinator Saradha Mani
Chief Editor: Milind Kokje Ad Sales & Marketing General Manager
[email protected] ‘NITON, Block ‘C’, I Floor, No.11/6, 103-104, Rohit House 3, #08-08, High Street Centre,
Palace Road, Bangalore-560 052 Tolstoy Marg, Connaught Place, 1 North Bridge Road,
Advisor - Content: Vijay Thombre Mobile: +91-9845128747 New Delhi - 110 001 Singapore - 179094
Tel.: +91-80-41131912/13 Tel. No: +91 11 4354 2737 Tel: +65-63369142
General Manager Content Creation [email protected] [email protected] Fax:+65-63369145
and Coordination: Narayan Kulkarni [email protected]
Content Team: Mumbai Pune
Bengaluru: Dr Manbeena Chawla USA
New Delhi: Kalyani Sharma Ankit Kankar Ankit Kankar BioSpectrum Bureau
Pune: Dr Sonali Wankhade Manager- Product & Manager- Product & MM Activ Sci-Tech
Singapore: Hithaishi C. Bhaskar Communications
Strategic Communications Strategic Communications Mobile: +91-9579069369
Social Media Editor: Ankit Kankar 1st Floor, CIDCO Convention Center, Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected] Sector 30A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Farms, Baner Road, Pune- 411045
Maharashtra-400703. Mobile: +91-9579069369 Europe
CFO & Special Correspondent: Mobile: +91-9579069369 [email protected] Mr. Stuart Smith
Manasee Kurlekar [email protected] 6 Cobden Court, Wimpole Close,
Bromley, Kent BR2 9JF
Production & Design: Nagpur E-mail: stuart.smith@
MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Manisha Boratkar globalmediasales.co.uk
Anil Walunj 402, Govind Apartments, Shankar Nagar Square, E-mail: [email protected]
Nagpur - 440 010. Tel. +91-712-2555 249 Tel: +44 (0)20 8464 5577
Product & Marketing Mobile: 07973 814753
Ankit Kankar Printed and published by
[email protected] Ravindra Boratkar on behalf of MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Pvt Ltd warranty and accept no
responsibility for the
Content Creation and Printed at Spectrum Offset, D-101, 1st Floor, Satyam Estate, Behind accuracy or completeness
Coordination: CDSS, Erandwane, Pune-411038. Maharashtra. Tel : +91 20 2543 6556 of information provided
Dr Manbeena Chawla TIN No: 09565712431 therein. Readers must
[email protected] Published from Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod Farms, undertake research and take
Near Bank of Baroda, Baner Road, Pune- 411045.Tel. No: +91 20 2729 1769 professional advice before
Circulation, Subscription and Website: www.biospectrumindia.com acting on any information
Media Enquiry: provided in BioSpectrum.
Asmita Thakar
[email protected]

Disclaimer: before entering into any personal opinions of the
 The views and opinions commitment in relations to contributors. BioSpectrum
advertisements appearing in does not necessarily claim to
expressed in this magazine this publication. The Printer, support these views.
are those of the authors. They Publisher, Editor and Owner  Contents and advertisements
do not necessarily represent of the magazine will not be in BioSpectrum are purely
opinions of the Advisory liable for any consequences. for information purposes
Board.  Views expressed in the and the Publisher & Editor
 Readers are advised to published articles are of BioSpectrum give no
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10 POLICY AND REGULATORY NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

India proposes Government to form
COVID-19 Pharma Bureau
emergency
fund for The Department of solutions to the Industry in a time
SAARC bound manner. In partnership
countries Pharmaceuticals (DoP), under with Invest India, the National
Investment Promotion and
Prime Minister Narendra the Ministry of Chemicals and Facilitation Agency that helps
Modi recently interacted Fertilizers, Government of investors looking for investment
with the leaders of the India, has announced the launch opportunities and options in
SAARC countries through of Pharma Bureau- a body of India, the Bureau will also help
video conference to chart technical experts, which will act facilitate both foreign as well
out a common strategy in as a single-point interface for as domestic investment in the
order to combat COVID-19 the pharmaceutical and medical Pharmaceutical and Medical
in the region. In the spirit devices industry for issues relating devices industry in India.
of collaboration, Prime to the Government of India and The bureau will also act as a
Minister Modi proposed various State Governments. policy think tank to support
creation of a COVID-19 The Bureau will coordinate with the Government as well as the
Emergency Fund based on different ministries of the Central Industry.
voluntary contributions Government as well as the State
from all the countries, with Governments for providing
India making an initial offer
of $10 million for the fund. Karnataka to formulate new
The fund can be used by any policy on Science and Technology
of the partner countries to
meet the cost of immediate The Government of Karnataka make Bengaluru and Karnataka as
actions. He informed that is in the process of bringing out a leader of nanotechnology with
India is assembling a Rapid collaboration and co-operation of
Response Team of doctors and a Science and Technology (S&T) premier institutes in Bengaluru
specialists, along with testing such as Indian Institute of
kits and other equipment, Policy, wherein it is proposing Science, Centre for Nano and
which will be on stand-by, to many programmes to support Soft Matter Sciences, Jawaharlal
be placed at the disposal of the R&D in the state. The vision Nehru Centre for Advanced
countries, if required. group chaired by Prof. CNR
Rao will help in formulating the Scientific Research and others.
policy and identify priority areas
to build core competencies and The government intends to leave
foster research in the advanced no stone unturned to provide all
discipline of nanotechnology, facilities in terms of state-of-the-
so as to address present and art infrastructure and proactive
future development needs. The policy to ensure the growth of
government is also focusing to nanotechnology in the state.

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com POLICY AND REGULATORY NEWS 11

DBT now sets $150B Cabinet approves
target for 2025 historic bill for
women’s welfare
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the
Science & Technology, celebrated its 34th Foundation Day Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
on 26th February in New Delhi. It was highlighted that the has approved a historic Bill for the
biotechnology sector in India has evolved over the last three welfare of women in the country – the
decades and has made significant contribution in various Assisted Reproductive Technology
Regulation Bill 2020. This follows
sectors especially health, agriculture etc. Due to enormous the introduction in Parliament
support received both from government & private sector of the Surrogacy Regulation Bill
biotechnology sector has seen a rapid growth amounting to 2020, and the approval of the
an annual growth rate of nearly 20 per cent. India is rated Medical Termination of Pregnancy
among top 12 biotechnology destinations in the world. It is the Amendment Bill 2020. These
demand for biotechnology products and services that has been legislative measures are path
the fulcrum for setting an ambitious target of $150 billion by breaking steps to protect women’s
2025. Looking at the growth prospects, biotech sector plays a reproductive rights. Once the Bill
significant role in addressing major global challenges in sectors is enacted by the Parliament, the
Central Government shall notify the
like health care, agriculture, energy, livestock etc. date of the commencement of the Act.
Consequently, the National Board will
Telangana to set up be constituted.
biotechnology hub

The government of Biology (CCMB) for
Telangana is looking at
taking the Telangana’s cell gene research. The
combined enterprise government has invited the
value of $50 billion to industrialists to come and
$100 billion and create explore the opportunities
4,00,000 new jobs in the that the state government
state. The state is also of Telangana is creating for
going to setup a B-Hub, them at the new Pharma
biotechnology hub in City, world’s largest
the next 2 months and pharma cluster which will
Curative Therapy Institute be operational shortly as
with the support of Centre it has got almost all of the
for Cellular and Molecular approvals it required from
the government of India.

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or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Detailed information on trademarks is available via publicly accessible resources.
© 2020 Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

12 COMPANY NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Serum collaborates with Novavax for malaria vaccine

US based Novavax, Inc., a the Jenner Institute at Oxford by the Jenner Institute,
late-stage biotechnology with top-line data
company developing next- University in 2017. Matrix-M is expected to be reported
generation vaccines for a key component in the malaria in the second quarter of
serious infectious diseases, vaccine candidate, currently in a 2020. Under the terms
and Serum Institute Phase 2b clinical trial sponsored of the agreement, SII
is granted rights to use
of India (SII) have Matrix-M in the vaccine
in regions where the
announced a commercial disease is endemic and
license agreement for will pay Novavax royalties
the use of Novavax’ on its market sales of
proprietary Matrix-M the vaccine. Matrix-M will be
vaccine adjuvant with manufactured and supplied to
SII’s malaria vaccine candidate. SII by Novavax AB, a wholly-
SII licensed the R21 malaria owned subsidiary of Novavax
vaccine, which targets the most based in Uppsala, Sweden.
severe plasmodium falciparum-
induced malaria disease, from

Zydus brings world’s first Novartis launches
drug for treating NASH
digital innovation hub
ZydusCadila, an innovation-driven global
pharmaceutical company has announced that in Hyderabad
the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has
Novartis has announced the launch of the
approved its New Drug Application (NDA) for Novartis Biome India, a digital innovation hub
Saroglitazar for the treatment of Non-Cirrhotic Non- aimed at boosting the connection and interaction
Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis (NASH) in India. The drug between Novartis and partners from across the
will enter the Indian market within three months. digital ecosystem, from nimble startups and
The drug will also be launched in Mexico soon. academia to the biggest players in the industry.
Saroglitazar was launched in India in September The first in Asia, the Novartis Biome India will act
2013, for the treatment of diabetic dyslipidemia and
hypertriglyceridemia in patients with type-2 diabetes as a bridge to the external ecosystem, enabling
not controlled by statins alone. In January this year, Novartis teams to better discover, develop and
Saroglitazar received an approval for the treatment drive collaborations that transform innovative
of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. In the last seven years, initiatives into impactful and scalable solutions
over a million patients have benefitted from this for patients. By joining this global network, the
drug. Saroglitazar is uniquely poised with its dual Novartis Biome India can tap into the assets
PPAR alpha and gamma properties – reducing the and expertise of the broader Novartis portfolio
comorbidities (dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, to have even greater impact, including access
diabetes mellitus) and causing NASH resolution. to anonymized data, customized residency
programs and personalized mentoring.

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com COMPANY NEWS 13

Syngene opens R&D Biological E
centre in Hyderabad announces new
typhoid conjugate
Syngene International a total of 94000 sq. ft. and vaccine

Limited, a global contract house around 270 scientists. Hyderabad based Biological E (BE)
The new R&D centre is fully has received the authorisation from
research organization, digitised based on an internet- the health regulatory authorities of
based, innovative, analytical India to license and market a new
has announced the laboratory solution that Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV).
enables anytime, anywhere, The approval from the Central Drugs
commissioning of the first monitoring; remote and Standard Control Organisation
secure access; and minimizes (CDSCO) is based on a thorough
phase of its new R&D centre system downtime by assessment of the vaccine’s efficacy
monitoring the operational and safety profile. TCV is an injectable
in Hyderabad. The centre, status of the systems. single-dose vaccine to be administered
The centre also has other to children from 6 months old as
located in Genome Valley, digitisation and automation well as adults and it contains Vi
features including electronic Polysaccharide derived from C.
is spread across 52000 sq. laboratory notebooks and Freundii conjugated to CRM197
analytical intelligence. protein. The clinical studies conducted
ft. with an initial strength in India demonstrated that the safety
and immunogenicity profiles of this
of around 150 scientists. vaccine are comparable to the other
licensed and WHO pre-qualified
This is the company’s first Typhoid conjugate vaccine. This
vaccine was developed in partnership
operational research centre with the GSK Vaccines Institute
for Global Health, based in Siena
outside Bengaluru. When (Italy), which first developed the
asset and transferred it to BE in 2013.
fully commissioned by the end Subsequent developmental work on
the vaccine was done by BE, including
of this year at an investment manufacturing process optimization
and scale up, pre-clinical studies and
of Rs 167 crore, it will cover full clinical trials in India. This vaccine
will be manufactured in BE’s GMP
AstraZeneca India manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad,
unveils advanced India and could be commercially
treatment option for T2D available within 3 months.

AstraZeneca India has announced the launch of Qtern
(Dapagliflozin 10mg + Saxagliptin 5mg film Coated Tablets)

for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Qtern is indicated as
an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in
adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Qtern combines
two anti-hyperglycaemic agents (SGLT-2 inhibitor and DPP-
4 inhibitor) with complementary mechanisms of action in a

convenient dosing option of once-daily tablet. Dapagliflozin

(SGLT-2 inhibitor), has already demonstrated reductions in
HbA1c and has also shown additional advantages including
weight reduction, blood pressure reduction and cardiac
protection in type 2 diabetes patients as per research carried
out for over 5 years. Similarly, Saxagliptin (DPP-4 Inhibitor)
reduced blood glucose and has proven primary cardiovascular
safety endpoint in cardiovascular outcome trial for anti-diabetes
drug conducted in more than 16000 patients.

14 FINANCE NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Lincoln Pharma bets big on exports

Ahmedabad based Lincoln to complement its strong the next 2-3 years, the company
Pharmaceuticals Limited is presence in acute segment. In is targeting sales of Rs 500
betting big on export business. crore. It has recently approved
With presence in more than amalgamation of Lincoln
60 countries, the company has Parenteral Ltd (subsidiary)
reported export sales of Rs 174.7
crore for the nine months ended with Lincoln Pharmaceuticals
Limited. The restructuring
December 2019 and expect it to aims to bring synergies for both
companies including competitive
cross Rs 225 crore in FY19-20. strength, operational efficiencies,

The company is also expanding productivity gains, and logistic
portfolio in lifestyle and chronic advantages, thereby significantly
segment especially in women
healthcare and dermatology contributing to future growth.

Marg ERP eyes MOPE invests
Rs 240 Cr in
Rs 250 Cr from Molbio Diagnostics

PharmaNXT in 3 years India Business Excellence Fund-III, a fund
managed and advised by MotilalOswal Private
New Delhi based Marg ERP Limited, a leader in
inventory and accounting software in India, has Equity (MOPE) have agreed to invest uptoRs
recently launched PharmaNXT, a platform for 240 crore in Goa based research driven
pharmacists in which they can get information about diagnostic company, Molbio Diagnostics Private
any drug or an item, its salt, the substitutes, HSN Limited. Molbio (along with its subsidiary
code etc. Chemists can also check the information Bigtec labs) has developed and commercialized
of tax percentage, MRP, manufacturing company
and many other details. The company is hoping to Truenat, the world’s first commercial Point-
generate Rs 250 crore revenue in the next three
years. This unique platform will empower the of-Care (PoC) molecular diagnostics platform
chemists to find the nearest distributors according to
using PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
their location, who are dealing in a specific item or technology. Truenat can diagnose 22 infectious
diseases (like TB, H1N1, Dengue, HIV,
a company. Since the competition is evolving every Hepatitis etc.) and has a pipeline of additional
day even the small companies are manufacturing
and distributing medicines at a local level. There are 43 diseases (such as Coronavirus, MERS, etc.).
few items which even chemists are not aware of as At present, Truenat devices are installed in
a result, they have to lose the customers. Currently, over 500 private labs and 350 primary health
more than 2.5 lakh retailers and distributors use centers in India and across the world in 27
Marg software, so the company is hoping to benefit countries. WHO endorsement will further
enable the product to be commercialized across
the industry immensely and the distributors & more than 150 countries.
retailers will come close to each other.

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com START UP NEWS 15

Ferrer Partners with Wellthy Therapeutics

The Ferrer 4 Future Innovation emerged as the global winner. As leverage its strengths of delivering
Challenge aims to enable more a result of this new partnership, DTx-driven real world outcomes
personalized, effective and Wellthy Therapeutics will for multiple conditions, across
responsive care to patients diverse cultures and languages,
through a connected healthcare
ecosystem facilitated by digital while Spanish firm Ferrer will
technologies. The challenge
included showcasing 65 health leverage its commercialization
technology companies across the capability, market access and
globe, out of which Mumbai based
startup Wellthy Therapeutics patient connect in specific

geographies, to combine forces
and deliver better patient
outcomes at scale.

Tricog raises $10.5M Qure.ai secures
$16M to expand
in Series B funding into new markets

Bengaluru based Tricog, one of the world’s largest Headquartered in Mumbai, India, with U.S.
healthcare analytics firms, has raised $10.5 million operations in San Francisco and New York,
healthcare AI startup Qure.ai has raised $16
in Series B funding round from UTEC - The million in a funding round led by Sequoia India
University of Tokyo Edge Capital, Japan; Aflac and supported by MassMutual Ventures Southeast
Asia (SEA). Qure.ai will use this new capital to
Ventures, LLC, Japan; TeamFund, USA and Dream
Incubator, Japan. Existing investors Inventus drive geographical expansion, expand product
Capital and Blume Ventures also participated in portfolio and support regulatory clearances. This
this round. The investment comes two years after funding round will allow the startup to further
Tricog’s Series A funding round, bringing the invest into R&D and to expand the reach of its
company’s total funding to $17.5 million. Since the solutions, accelerating the mission of delivering
previous round, Tricog has grown its presence in accessible and affordable healthcare to every
over 12 countries in South-East Asia and Africa. human being. Qure.ai’s solutions are all CE
Tricog’s AI-powered platform has been used certified, their head CT product (qER) being
by over 3 million patients globally for wellness,
screening and diagnosis of acute as well as chronic the only solution in the industry to detect every
heart diseases. Tricog has recently launched the critical brain abnormality on a head CT including
InstaEcho platform for remote echocardiography five types of intracranial hemorrhages, cranial
with a focus on using AI to enable Point of Care
Cardiac Ultrasound for the diagnosis of Heart fractures, infarcts, midline shift, and mass effect
Failure, Valvular Heart disease and screening for (for tumor detection).
Congenital Heart Disease. Tricog is also awaiting
USFDA approval for its proprietary DeepRhythm
platform for real-time patient monitoring.

16 START UP NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Marut delivers medicine using drones

Government of Telangana, medical delivery platform. While
which is working on ‘Medicine the project is in its early stages,
from the sky’ project in it shows potential to strengthen
association with World the delivery of healthcare
Economic Forum and Healthnet
Global, has given a successful services, particularly in difficult
demonstration of delivering
medicines, blood and others terrains and rural areas. The
through a drone. Hyderabad
based startup, Marut, has artificial intelligence (AI)

worked on this. It is India’s first enabled delivery drone could be
operated via an app and used
to provide medical essentials to
primary health centres.

Telangana supports
medtech innovations

C-CAMP inks LoI with With an aim to provide to accelerate and
University of Basel a platform, which support the indigenous
can enable aspiring innovations in
Bengaluru based Corridor that aims entrepreneurs to medical technologies.
Centre for Cellular and to promote deep test their innovative Through Project Tej,
Molecular Platforms science and deep tech medical technology
innovations with societal ideas in the field of innovators and device
(C-CAMP), India’s impact in life sciences manufacturers can
in both countries. medical technologies, validate the usability
premier bio-innovation The focus areas of the the Government of their devices in
hub has signed a Letter agreement are health- of Telangana and public health settings
tech, digital health, MedTechConnect, a and gain access to
of Intent (LoI) with precision medicine platform founded by public health channels.
and anti-microbial Cyient and Xynteo’s Project Tej testbeds
University of Basel, one India2022 coalition will complement
of the world’s leading resistance (AMR) among have joined hands Telangana State’s
life science clusters and together to launch a infrastructure projects,
headquarters to globally other areas. As per the new initiative called which include the
leading companies in agreement the Hub will Project Tej. Telangana Telangana MedTech
pharma, life science and provide a soft landing State’s Research and Park and ensure that
medical technologies. pad for Indian startups Innovation Circle of Telangana becomes a
The LoI is a formal and innovators in the favorable destination
initiation of the Indo life sciences and biotech Hyderabad (RICH) for MedTech
Swiss Life Sciences domains expanding in investments.
Sister Innovation Swiss markets and vice and MedTechConnect
Hub, a forerunner of a versa. have signed a
dedicated Bangalore- Memorandum of
Basel Innovation
Understanding (MoU)

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com COVER STORY 17

MAKE INDIA
FREE
TOP 5 WAYS TO
TACKLE THE OUTBREAK
As the number of COVID-19 cases
continue to rise all across the globe, 1 Mass diagnostic testing for COVID-19 should
healthcare authorities and experts are be conducted so that more individuals can
coming together to identify gaps and be screened and checked. The respondents
work together to accelerate and fund
priority research needed to help stop back WHO’s observation that narrow case definition
this outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks.
and withholding testing for COVID-19 will only be
BioSpectrum India joined in this effort and
conducted a campaign to identify five key actions conducive to community spread.
to be taken in order to tackle this outbreak. For this,
BioSpectrum reached out to the industry, researchers, 2 Relaxation of regulatory approvals for
regulators & academia and asked them to share medical technology devices in the sector
their opinion on two critical questions- 1. By when do of ICU, ventilator support, rapid diagnostics
you feel that India would become COVID -19 free? 2.
What five steps should be taken by the authorities will allow many players in the sector to begin
to control this outbreak and achieve the target of
making the country COVID-19 free? manufacturing and contribute in this fight against

Expressing their uncertainty on when would the pandemic. The availability of sufficient medical
the pandemic actually end, the respondents were
not able to give any specific answer. The average supplies and equipment is the need of the hour.
response settled for somewhere around May- June
2020. Few are also of the opinion that it is likely to 3 Involve the community in making physical
turn into a seasonal infection after a reasonable distancing a habit and improving hygiene.
proportion of the world is infected, but we need to People should stay committed to follow the
keep tracking to see how the pandemic evolves.
general precautionary measures that include the
They also gave numerous suggestions on how
to tackle this outbreak in the best possible way with universal or standard precautions of general hygiene;
the hope that these recommended steps will make
a difference in the times to come. This outbreak maintaining a social distancing of two meters or
has come around as a test of solidarity. We need to
come together to fight a common enemy and ensure more and avoiding mass gatherings.
that we have the resources necessary to bring this
outbreak to an end. 4 Global collaborative efforts and
sharing of best practices to beat the
BioSpectrum brings to you the top five steps to be virus are very critical. The authorities
taken by the authorities to control this outbreak and
achieve the target of making the country COVID-19 should facilitate greater exchange of ideas and
free, as suggested by the respondents-
technical expertise.

5 The economic and social fallout of the
outbreak will be massive and authorities
must strengthen a public private partnership

(PPP) mode of tackling the outbreak. If and when the

community transmission begins in India, government

facilities alone will not be enough. Private players

will need to be brought in operation with appropriate

price caps to reduce the financial burden on

common masses. The government should come up

with bailout packages for the severely hit sectors

and incorporate a strategy for national economic

recovery.

18 COVER STORY BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

TACKLING

OUTBREAK
Amongst other countries, An unprecedented outbreak of
coronavirus cases continue to pneumonia of unknown etiology
rise in India as well, with over in Wuhan City, Hubei province
thousands of people, who had in China emerged in December
come in contact with positive 2019. A novel coronavirus or
cases, continue to be under the severe acute respiratory
rigorous surveillance. In the given syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-
circumstances, the industry and
the government are aggressively CoV-2) was identified as the
developing solutions in the form of
diagnostic kits, drugs and vaccines causative agent and was subsequently termed
to help reduce this chaos. COVID-19 by the World Health Organization
(WHO).

Since then the viral disease has swept into 158
countries and killed thousands of people thereby
becoming a pandemic globally. Countries are
reporting increasing number cases of everyday,
caused by the coronavirus that has infected
hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. By
calling COVID-19 a pandemic, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) is placing it in a different
category than several recent deadly outbreaks,
including the recent Ebola outbreak in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, the Zika virus
outbreak in 2016 and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in
West Africa.

Amongst other countries, coronavirus cases
continue to rise in India as well, with thousands
of people, who had come in contact with positive
cases, continue to be under rigorous surveillance.
In the given circumstances, the industry and

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com COVER STORY 19

the government are aggressively developing GLOBAL
solutions in the form of diagnostic kits and drugs INITIATIVES
to help reduce this chaos.
DIAGNOSTICS
Government Aids
І On 18 March,
After Japan, Thailand, United States of America CE marking for its newly developed QIAstat-Dx
Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel test to be sold as
to isolate the COVID-19 virus strain. Pune based an in vitro diagnostic for the detection of SARS-
National Institute of Virology (NIV), under the CoV-2.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),
has successfully isolated the COVID-19 virus І On 18 March, US based Abbott received
strain, hoping to expedite the development of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the FDA
drugs, vaccines and rapid diagnostic kits in for the company’s molecular test COVID-19.
the country. NIV has also been made a nodal
centre for coordinating diagnostics related to the І On 16 March, FDA took two additional
virus. It has released a report on the specimen
collection, packaging and transport guidelines for coronavirus outbreak by issuing Emergency
the virus. In addition, ICMR has activated more Use Authorizations (EUAs) to US based Hologic
laboratories to test for COVID-19 and revised the for its Panther Fusion SARS-COV-2 Assay, and
testing criteria for the same. Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) for
its COVID-19 RT-PCR test.
“The Council has equipped 72 of its І On 15 March,
laboratories to test for the pandemic disease. Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA for its
In addition to these labs, 49 more laboratories diagnostic kit cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test, advancing
coronavirus testing to meet urgent medical needs.
& Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of І On 14 March, US based Bio-Rad launched a SARS
Biotechnology (DBT), and Defence Research, CoV-2 Standard to support laboratory assay
Development Organisation (DRDO) would validation of coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. The
be equipped to test for COVID19 soon. ICMR company is providing the SARS CoV-2 Standard
will also be setting up two testing locations to help labs validate their COVID-19 assay results
(NCR and Bhubaneswar) for high throughput and accelerate access to testing.
diagnostic systems for exponentially increasing І On 13 March,
rapid diagnosing of COVID-19. ICMR is having received an Emergency Use Authorization
a dialogue with high-quality private labs that (EUA) for its diagnostic test by U.S. Food
includes labs accredited by and Drug Administration (FDA) that can be
used immediately by CLIA high-complexity
National Accreditation Board for Testing laboratories in the U.S. to detect nucleic acid
and Calibration Laboratories from SARS-CoV-2
(NABL) to understand the І On 18 Feb, South Korea based Seegene launched
modalities of increasing access a single-tube assay, Allplex 2019-nCoV Assay that
to the test in the endeavour
to prepare for future,” shares RdRP gene and Ngene), approved by the Korea
Prof Balram Bhargava, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, following the
Secretary, Department recent CE-IVD Mark.
of Health Research & І On 14 Feb, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Director General, ICMR. (PolyU) announced the development of the
world’s most comprehensive automated multiplex
Alongside, DBT in diagnostic system which includes a fully
partnership with Norway based Coalition for automated machine and a multiplex full-screening
Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is panel for the point-of-care genetic testing (POCT)
calling for proposals for rapidly developing and of respiratory infectious disease including
manufacturing a proven vaccine approach that coronavirus.
can be used against the virus. The Ind-CEPI
Mission, backed with a funding of Rs 312.92
crore, was developed in 2019 to strengthen
the development of vaccines for the diseases
of epidemic potential in India as well as build
coordinated preparedness in the Indian public

20 COVER STORY BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

HIGH LEVEL GOM REVIEWS health system and vaccine industry to address
MANAGEMENT OF NOVEL CORONAVIRUS existing and emergent infectious threats in India.

І On February 3, Dr P K Mishra, Principal “Preparedness for any emerging problems is
Secretary to the Prime Minister reviewed the always an issue beyond the ability to respond.
situation relating to the Corona Virus in the This is because increasing activities in one area
country. National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, always has opportunity costs that affect other
Principal Adviser to the Prime Minister P. K. aspects of industry. Manpower, equipment and
Sinha, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Chief facilities are not usually available in excess of
of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, and current requirements so that emergent solutions
secretaries of other relevant ministries were can be responded to. That said, key classes
also present. of products that are specific to a new threat
(and not like personal protective equipment
І On the directions of Prime Minister, a high level or medical care, bed capacity etc. relevant to
Group of Ministers (GoM) was constituted all threats) are diagnostics, treatments and
comprising of Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union preventive approaches. In diagnostics, PCR
Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Hardeep S.
Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr. S Jaishankar, ‘‘Our researchers are working Pankaj R. Patel
External Affairs Minister, G. Kishan Reddy, to bring a speedy solution Chairman,
Minister of State for Home, Ashwini Kumar to this most devastating Zydus Group
Choubey, Minister of State, Health & Family
Welfare and Mansukh Lal Mandaviya, Minister outbreak in recent times. Our
of State (I/c), Shipping to review, monitor Vaccine Technology Centre
and evaluate the preparedness regarding in India which is working on
management of Novel Coronavirus in the the plasmid DNA vaccine
country. also has wide ranging
capabilities in developing
І The first meeting of GoM was held at Nirman
Bhawan to review the preparedness and steps and manufacturing different
taken by the Ministries of Health, Shipping, vaccines for unmet needs. The
External Affairs, Civil Aviation and Home Affairs. group was the first to develop
It was chaired by Union Minister of Health & and indigenously manufacture
Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan.
the vaccine to combat Swine
І The GOM was also apprised that adequate Flu during outbreak in 2010.’’
materials like Personal Protection Equipment
(PPE) and N95 masks are available and the
situation is closely monitored in all the States/
UTs. The preparedness and actions are being
reviewed at the highest level everyday by
the Union Health Minister and the Cabinet
Secretary, in addition to Secretary (HFW).
A 24x7 Control Room is operational (011-
23978046). IEC material is prepared and widely
disseminated through various channels of print,
electronic and social media. Daily Press briefing
by Ministry of Health is being undertaken to
update the public.

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com COVER STORY 21

based methods have been rapidly developed and “Hydroxy-chloroquine is found Prof. Balram
are available within the government system, to be effective against corona- Bhargava,
but point of care tests that give results rapidly virus in laboratory studies and Director General,
would be useful. We have the capacity to develop Indian Council of
them but need time. For treatments, antiviral in-vivo studies. Its use in Medical Research
drugs are important, and we have companies prophylaxis is derived from (ICMR)
that already make a range of drugs, mostly as available evidence of benefit as
generic versions of drugs originally developed treatment and supported by
elsewhere. Developing new antivirals and pre-clinical data. The National
testing them is challenging, and we have not Taskforce for COVID-19 recom-
been particularly focused in this area,” points mends the use of hydroxy-
out Prof Gagandeep Kang, Executive chloroquine for prophylaxis of
Director, Translational Health Science
and Technology Institute. SARS-CoV-2 infection for
selected individuals as follows:
As a recent development, the Drug Controller
General of India (DCGI) has approved restricted Eligible individuals: • Asymp-
use of the combination of medications lopinavir tomatic healthcare workers
and ritonavir which are second-line HIV drugs,
for treating those affected by the coronavirus involved in the care of
after ICMR sought an emergency approval for suspected or confirmed cases
the same.
of COVID-19 • Asymptomatic
Industry Supports household contacts of labora-

Rolling out diagnostics to detect whether tory confirmed cases.”
patients are genuinely infected with the new
coronavirus is a key step in preventing or “The company plans to do its Adar
slowing its spread. However, the rapid spread of clinical (human) trials in India, Poonawalla,
COVID-19 has drastically increased the demand Chief Executive
for testing kits around the world. On the other adhering to the ethics and
hand, several biopharmaceutical companies are safety standards. We have Institute of India
researching vaccine candidates for prevention also been approached by
and collaborating in the share of existing other companies and things
technologies that can be leveraged to allow are in process. As the vaccine
a rapid upscale of production once a vaccine
leaders of the world, we
are at least 14 companies with a medicine in early should step up and contribute
phase research, 4 companies with a medicine in
Phase I of development and 3 in Phase II, and towards combatting these
one company has a medicine in Phase III trials, kinds of pandemics. Even
globally. Despite all the efforts being taken by the if you have the vaccine the
industry, the hard fact remains that it will likely main challenge will be to
take at least a year for a COVID-19 vaccine to be manufacture it at a large
approved and made available to patients. volume. The vaccine-virus
strain will be the fastest ‘Made
Diagnostic Attempts in India’ vaccine to progress to
the human trials phase within
India has received the license for conducting six months, if succeeded. The
coronavirus tests after approval from drug cost of the project has been
estimated at Rs 300 crore,
to get such permission after the government SII aims to secure external
decided to allow accredited private labs to test for funding for the project via
COVID-19. In addition, Chennai based Trivitron
Healthcare, Lonavala based Mylab Discovery various global partners.”
Solution and Ahmedabad based Cosara
Diagnostics have also sought approval from the

22 COVER STORY BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

DCGI for the coronavirus testing kits developed DRUGS &
by them. VACCINES

“With the number of cases rising across І On 18 March, US based Moderna, Inc.
India, we need to proactively take steps to ensure announced that the first participant has been
virus doesn’t spread at community level. We dosed in the Phase 1 study of the company’s
need a responsive system that provides good mRNA vaccine (mRNA-1273) against the
diagnostic tests that are widely available and novel coronavirus. This Phase 1 study is being
used. Numbers of well-equipped laboratories conducted by the National Institutes of Health
should be increased on the ground to diagnose (NIH) under its own Investigational New Drug
and measure infection. Testing of coronavirus (IND) application.
samples are largely being done at government
accredited laboratories, which need to be І On 18 March, Australia based Luina Bio entered
expanded to include accredited private labs into agreement with Griffith University to develop
also. Further, India imports diagnostic testing coronavirus vaccine.
kits from Germany and Switzerland. We
are leveraging our scientific expertise and І On 18 March, Enzychem Lifesciences Corp.
technological advancements in developing these announced advancing a domestic clinical trial of
kits. The kit can be used in all 5 sample types EC-18, a new coronavirus treatment candidate, in
recommended by NIV/ WHO as long as RNAs South Korea.
are separated from these samples. Our aim is
to develop a diagnostic kit that is in compliance І On 17 March, US based Pfizer Inc. and German
with global regulatory standards firm BioNTech SE announced collaboration for
and is universally acceptable,” says co-developing potential mRNA-based coronavirus
Dr. GSK Velu, Chairman & vaccine, excluding China.
MD, Trivitron Healthcare.
І On 16 March, German firm BioNTech SE and
Developing Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co.,
Vaccines & Drugs Ltd announced a strategic development and
commercialization collaboration to advance
At the forefront of BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine candidate BNT162 in
discovering effective China for the prevention of COVID-19 infections.
treatments and
vaccines to combat І On 16 March, US based Mount Sinai Health
the outbreak of System and US-China based Harbour BioMed
COVID-19, Pune announced collaboration to utilize the H2L2
based Serum Harbour Mice platform to generate monoclonal
Institute of antibodies against the coronavirus.
India (SII)
was one of І On 16 March, US based Regeneron
the firsts Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and French firm Sanofi have
to lend a started a clinical program evaluating Kevzara
helping (sarilumab) in patients hospitalized with severe
hand. COVID-19 infection

І On 16 March, a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating
an investigational vaccine designed to protect
against COVID-19) begun at Kaiser Permanente
Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI)
in the US.

І On 13 March, Canada based AbCellera and US
based Eli Lilly and Company entered into an
agreement to co-develop antibody (Ab) products
for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

І On 13 March, US based Johnson & Johnson
announced collaboration with the Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center to accelerate
COVID-19 vaccine development

І On 11 March, The Bill & Melinda Gates

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com COVER STORY 23

Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard announced “India imports diagnostic Dr. GSK Velu,
commitment of up to $125 million in seed funding testing kits from Germany Chairman &
to speed-up the response to the COVID-19 epidemic MD, Trivitron
by identifying, assessing, developing, and scaling-up and Switzerland. We are Healthcare
treatments. leveraging our scientific
І On 11 March, UK based Tiziana Life Sciences plc expertise and technological
announced expediting development of TZLS-501, a advancements in developing
novel, fully human anti-interleukin-6 receptor (anti- these kits. The kit can be
IL6R) monoclonal antibody (mAb) for treatment of used in all 5 sample types
patients infected with coronavirus. recommended by NIV/ WHO
І On 10 March, Japanese National Institute of as long as RNAs are separated
Infectious Diseases announced testing the US based from these samples. Our aim is
AIM ImmunoTech’s drug Ampligen as a potential to develop a diagnostic kit that
treatment for COVID-19. is in compliance with global
І On 9 March, US based AbbVie announced regulatory standards and is
collaboration with global health authorities and universally acceptable.”
institutions, including the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes “Preparedness for any Prof Gagandeep
of Health (NIH), World Health Organization (WHO), emerging problems is always Kang,
among others, to evaluate any potential antiviral Executive
activity as well as efficacy and safety of KALETRA/ an issue beyond the ability Director,
Aluvia (lopinavir/ritonavir) against COVID-19 to respond. In diagnostics, Translational
І On 6 March, US based Arcturus Therapeutics and PCR based methods have Health Science
Singapore’s Duke-NUS Medical School announced and Technology
their partnership to develop a COVID-19 vaccine for been rapidly developed Institute
Singapore. and are available within the
І On 6 March, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese
Academy of Medical Sciences entered into a government system, but
strategic collaboration with Canadian-based point of care tests that give
biotechnology company Cyclica to discover antiviral
drug candidates for COVID-19. results rapidly would be
І On 5 March, Japan based Takeda Pharmaceutical useful. We have the capacity
Company initiated the development of an anti-SARS- to develop diagnostic kits but
CoV-2 polyclonal hyperimmune globulin (H-IG) to
treat high-risk individuals with COVID-19. need time. For treatments,
І On 2 March, US based Gilead Sciences announced antiviral drugs are important,
the initiation of two Phase 3 clinical studies to and we have companies that
evaluate the safety and efficacy of remdesivir in already make a range of drugs,
adults diagnosed with COVID-19 mostly as generic versions of
І On 27 February, China based WuXi Biologics and US
based Vir Biotechnology announced a development drugs originally developed
and manufacturing collaboration to advance and elsewhere. Developing new
produce human monoclonal antibodies for the antivirals and testing them is
potential treatment of COVID-19 challenging, and we have not
І On 25 February, China based Clover been particularly focused in
Biopharmaceuticals entered into a research
collaboration with UK based pharma firm this area.”
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for its protein-based
coronavirus vaccine candidate

24 COVER STORY BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

List of  Indian COVID-19
testing kits for commercial use

(as on March 23, 2020)

Name of Company Name of the Kit Concordance Concordance
among true among true
Altona Diagnostics RealStar SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR kit 1.0 positive (%) negative (%)
MY LAB Patho Detect
BGI Real Time detecting 2019-nCoV 100% 100%
Krishgen Bio System SARS-CoV-2 (RT-qPCR) Detection
ABI TaqMan 2019-nCoV Control Kit 100% 100%
HIMEDIA Hi –PCR Corona Virus (CoViD-19) Probe PCR
HUWEL Quantiplus Detection kit 100% 90%
IIT-Delhi SYBR Green based one step QRT-PCR
KILPEST (BLACKBIO) TRUPCR 100% 80%

100% 90%

100% 5%

100% 40%

98% 10%

100% 75%

“We are working together with Dr Omkar SII has announced a collaboration with US based
all our efforts to commence Herlekar, clinical-stage biotechnology company Codagenix
the research and scale-up Chairman, to rapidly co-develop a live-attenuated vaccine
Lasa against the emergent coronavirus. Codagenix
activity of Favipiravir showing Supergenerics has already designed multiple coronavirus
its promising activity for vaccine candidate genomes using its proprietary
deoptimization technology. The vaccine
inhabitation of wide range of viruses will then be grown and tested in vivo by
viruses. We will take necessary contracted laboratories suitable for containment,
prior to testing in clinical trials. SII will then
steps for getting permission scale-up the manufacturing of the vaccine to
from Drug Controller General ensure its availability to meet a critical public
of India to launch the product health need.

in the Indian market at the “The company plans to do its clinical (human)
earliest. Once the Favipiravir trials in India, adhering to the ethics and safety
standards. We have also been approached by
therapy is approved by other companies and things are in process. As
global regulatory authorities, the vaccine leaders of the world, we should step
up and contribute towards combatting these
we would approach DCGI kinds of pandemics. This product will have to be
for conducting required handled under BSL 3 (biosafety level) conditions
which basically is a very high containment level. I
bioequivalence clinical trials don’t know how many facilities in the world have
in India and also seek for high volume manufacturing in BSL 3, we don’t.

strategic private investments
and/or government aid to

commercialise this product
subject to all regulatory
approvals and trials.”

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com COVER STORY 25

“India has high dependence Sudarshan Jain, EFFORTS BY COALITION
on fermentation based Secretary FOR EPIDEMIC
APIs namely antibiotics General, Indian PREPAREDNESS
Pharmaceutical INNOVATIONS (CEPI)
and vitamins. Companies Alliance
have been maintaining 2- 3 An innovative partnership between public, private,
months’ inventory of these philanthropic, and civil organisations, to develop
APIs and intermediates. These vaccines to stop future epidemics (Based in Norway)
inventories were also planned І On 23 January, US based Inovio
given lunar holidays in the
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that CEPI has
last week of January and awarded Inovio a grant of up to $9 million to
first week of February. The develop a vaccine against the coronavirus.
situation is now being closely І On 31 January, German firm CureVac AG
monitored by all companies. announced a collaboration with CEPI to develop a
The areas being looked into vaccine against the new coronavirus.
are close monitoring of the І On 3 February, CEPI and GSK announced a
developments, inventory of collaboration aimed at helping the global effort to
critical APIs or intermediates, develop a vaccine for the coronavirus. In this new
move GSK will make its established pandemic
evaluation of alternate vaccine adjuvant platform technology available to
sources with possible and enhance the development of an effective vaccine
against the coronavirus.
regulatory approvals for І On 17 February, Government of Norway
environmental clearance for announced an additional NOK 36 million funding
certain APIs where capacity is to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness
Innovations (CEPI) to advance the development
available.” of vaccine candidates against the novel
coronavirus. In total, Norway has provided NOK
We will have to see if this can be toned down. 1.6 billion to CEPI and the additional funding for
Even if you have the vaccine the main challenge this work has increased its annual contribution to
will be to manufacture it at a large volume. The a total of NOK 278 million.
vaccine-virus strain will be the fastest ‘Made in І On March 6, CEPI issued an urgent call for $2
India’ vaccine to progress to the human trials billion of new funding to enable the organisation
phase within six months, if succeeded. The cost to expand the number of COVID-19 vaccine
of the project has been estimated at Rs 300 candidates in development and to fund the
crores, SII aims to secure external funding for the clinical trials for these candidate vaccines.
project via various global partners,” says Adar І On 10 March, CEPI announced the expansion
of its COVID-19 vaccine portfolio. CEPI will be
Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, SII. investing a further $4.4 million in partnering
agreements with US based Novavax, Inc. and The
Ahmedabad based Zydus Cadila has University of Oxford to rapidly develop vaccine
initiated an accelerated research programme candidates against COVID-19. This brings CEPI’s
with multiple teams in India and Europe for total investment in COVID-19 vaccine R&D to
developing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus $23.7 million.
І On 12 March, the German Government’s Federal
based on two approaches. The first approach Ministry of Education and Research announced
an additional €140 million to support CEPI’s
deals with the development of a DNA vaccine efforts to accelerate the development of a
against the major viral membrane protein vaccine against the COVID-19 virus.
responsible for the cell entry of the novel І On 18 March, CEPI announced investment of an
coronavirus, while the second approach deals initial $620,000 in a partnering agreement with
with the development of a live attenuated The University of Hong Kong (HKU) to rapidly
recombinant measles virus vectored vaccine develop a vaccine candidate against COVID-19.
against COVID-19. This collaboration brings CEPI’s total investment
in COVID-19 vaccine R&D to $24.3 million.
Adding more details, Pankaj R. Patel,
Chairman, Zydus Group says, “Our
researchers are working to bring a speedy
solution to this most devastating outbreak in
recent times. Our Vaccine Technology Centre
in India which is working on the plasmid DNA
vaccine also has wide ranging capabilities in

26 COVER STORY BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

developing and manufacturing different vaccines Academic Efforts

for unmet needs. The group was the first to According to the World Health Organization
(WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
develop and indigenously manufacture the a Federal Health Agency in the US, hands
vaccine to combat Swine Flu during outbreak in account for transmitting nearly 80 per cent of
2010.” the infections due to frequent touching of eyes,
nose, mouth and ears which leads to the entry of
On the other hand, Mumbai based germs.
pharmaceutical company Cipla has joined
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
hands with Council of Scientific and Industrial researchers have developed their own
hand sanitizer, in line with the standards
Research (CISR) — Indian Institute of Chemical recommended by the WHO and CDC, for the
Technology (IICT) to develop a drug that can institute community. The composition of this
hand sanitizer is 70 per cent isopropanol with
fight viral diseases including coronavirus. IICT glycerol, polypropylene glycol to increase
the viscosity and reduce the volatility so that
has taken up the task to develop active pharma the sanitizer stays on skin to allow action,
ingredients (APIs) for the drug which when as well as lemongrass oil for antimicrobial
developed, would be handed over to Cipla that activity and therapeutic aroma. The 70 per
would then manufacture the drugs. cent IPA solution penetrates the cell wall,
coagulates all proteins, and therefore the
IICT has also partnered with Mumbai microorganism dies. The technology has not
based API major, Lasa Supergenerics for the been commercialized yet.
development of antiviral compound Favipiravir
as a potential treatment. Favipiravir is an A similar initiative has been taken by the
antiviral drug and is a promising antidote for the
treatment of COVID-2019. It possesses activity scientists of Council of Scientific and Industrial
against many RNA viruses.
Research-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource
“We are working together with all our efforts Technology (CSIR-IHBT) based in Palampur,
to commence the research and scale-up activity Himachal Pradesh who have used natural
of Favipiravir showing its promising activity for
inhabitation of wide range of viruses. We will
take necessary steps for getting permission from
Drug Controller General of India to launch the
product in the Indian market at the earliest.
Once the Favipiravir therapy is approved by
global regulatory authorities, we would approach
DCGI for conducting required bioequivalence
clinical trials in India and also seek for strategic
private investments and/or government aid
to commercialise this product subject to all
regulatory approvals and trials,” says Dr Omkar

Herlekar, Chairman, Lasa Supergenerics.

“This crisis has come around as Dr Mahesh
an opportunity for India to see Bhalgat,
Chief Operating
how it can do more capacity Officer, Syngene
and capability building for International

itself, especially with respect
to the basic drugs such as
paracetamol. This situation

can also probably speed up
innovations in our R&D efforts.

But of course, in order to
develop a sustainable solution,

a collaboration between the
industry and government is

the key.”

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com COVER STORY 27

flavours, active tea constituents and alcohol Pharmaceuticals (DoP) have asked companies
content in their newly developed hand- such as Cipla, Mylan, Aurobindo and Hetero,
sanitizer. The technology has been transferred among others, to evaluate supply chain and keep
to Palampur based company A.B. Scientific enough stock ready for India.
Solutions for the commercial production of the
hand sanitizer. “India has high dependence on fermentation
based APIs namely antibiotics and vitamins.
A major setback? Companies have been maintaining 2- 3 months’
inventory of these APIs and intermediates.
The Indian economy could take a big hit These inventories were also planned given lunar
following the coronavirus threat. India’s holidays in the last week of January and first
automobile and pharma sectors, which are week of February. The situation is now being
dependent on Chinese supplies, are facing closely monitored by all companies. The areas
massive disruptions. This gives an indication being looked into are close monitoring of the
that India needs to de-risk its supply chains by developments, inventory of critical APIs or
becoming a global manufacturing hub for most intermediates, evaluation of alternate sources
items. with possible and regulatory approvals for
environmental clearance for certain APIs where
Indian pharmaceutical companies procure capacity is available,” shares Sudarshan
almost 70 per cent of the active pharmaceutical Jain, Secretary General, Indian
ingredients (APIs) for their medicines from
China, the world’s leading producer and exporter Pharmaceutical Alliance.
of APIs by volume. As factories in China are NITI Aayog, a policy think tank of the
closed to try to stem the coronavirus outbreak,
the industry and the government are becoming government, has also raised suggestions
concerned over the vulnerability of the Indian such as speeding up approvals for building
pharmaceutical supply chain. factories, including necessary clearances from
the environment ministry, and for giving
At a recent meeting held with the concessions on electricity, and the promotion
manufacturers, a committee of experts of pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs. But
constituted by the Department of even if the government removes barriers to API
production in India, it is unlikely to spur the
industry into immediate action for ramping up
production while APIs imported from China
remain cheaper. For the industry involved in the
formulation business, profit and turnover are
most critical.

“This crisis has come around as an
opportunity for India to see how it can do
more capacity and capability building for itself,
especially with respect to the basic drugs such
as paracetamol. This situation can also probably
speed up innovations in our R&D efforts. But
of course, in order to develop a sustainable
solution, a collaboration between the industry
and government is the key,” says Dr Mahesh
Bhalgat, Chief Operating Officer,

Syngene International.
Along with structural reforms, a sustained

effort to improve the ease and cost of doing
business would have to be looked into. Whether
India can expect to become a $5 trillion economy
has become a big question now. A sustained
pullback in consumption, coupled with extended
closures of businesses, would hurt earnings of
Indian companies and drive layoffs.

Dr Manbeena Chawla
with inputs from Kalyani Sharma & Vallari Mathure

28 SPEAKING WITH BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

“Council plans to set up
Centres of Excellence”

« We hope that an appropriate portion of this
would be channelized for the Life Sciences
Ranjit Madan, sector, which has a direct impact on human
life and is one of the major ‘Priority sectors’ as
CEO, Life Sciences defined by Niti Ayog.

Sector Skill In your opinion, what steps are needed
to impart necessary skills to the existing
Development Council, workforce?

New Delhi The biggest stumbling block in this country
has been disconnect between Industry and
Established in 2014, Life Sciences Sector Academia. Through its various initiatives,
Skill Development Council (LSSSDC) is the Council is doing its level best to forge a
a Non-Statutory Skill Certification Body close connection between the two in order to
authorized by Ministry of Skill Development build a reservoir of a more Industry-ready and
and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. productive workforce.
LSSSDC is a not for profit organisation,
registered under the Societies Act, 1860. As What are the activities that the LSSDC
a National level organization, in partnership does?
with various stakeholders groups, it will
serve to address the skill shortfalls in the Life LSSDC imparts skills through a combination
Sciences Sector in India. Its aim, over a 10 year of Industry-defined, validated classroom and
period, will be to map all job roles in the Sector practical training. For manufacturing job
(estimated 100), enlist Training Organisations, roles such as that of a Machine Operator and
train the Trainers and certify approx. 2.1 million a Manufacturing Chemist, where the cost for
skilled workers in this Sector. giving practical training at around 20 crores
is prohibitive, and permission is not granted
At the helm is a Governing Body with as per USFDA/ EU regulations to those not on
representation from various Stakeholder groups, payroll from being on certain sections of shop
including industry (through major Associations floor, LSSSDC has successfully developed and
such as IPA (Alliance), BDMA, IDMA, CIPI, launched Virtual Reality/ Simulation-based
ABLE, ACRO, OPPI, IRA (Association), FOPF module. This lab is available on over 6 clusters
Government, (through Pharmexcil) and Ministry and major companies are adopting this model.
of Health and Family Welfare MOHFW and
Academia (NIPER & PCI). Day to day operations The Council’s activities can be split
are managed by the CEO, Ranjit Madan (a
professional, with 30 years corporate sector into 3 buckets:
experience) and his team. As the emphasis on Skilling: Council has developed industry-
skill development increases, Prapti Shah from
BioSpectrum spoke to Ranjit Madan on the work defined standards of skilling (hard and soft)
undertaken by LSSDC and the skill gap that called ‘National Standards’ for all major (around
exists in India. Edited excerpts; 15-20) job roles, across verticals of Sales,
Manufacturing, QC, R&D etc which account for
The Government in Budget 2020 70 per cent of job volume in sectors of Pharma,
has allocated Rs 3000 crore for skill BioPharma and Contract/ Clinical Research.
development. What is your view on this Along with the curriculum, the content has also
and how will this be helpful to the Life been developed.
Sciences Sector?
LSSSDC has accredited Training Partners,
including colleges and industry partners
that impart training post the completion of
Train the Trainer program which has been
laid down as per defined parameters. After

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com SPEAKING WITH 29

completing the module which is of around With which companies or training centres
3-month duration, the candidates are assessed has LSSDC partnered with till date?
by professional 3rd party Assessment Agencies
and then certified by Council. LSSSDC Council’s major strength is its Industry connect.
thereafter facilitates placement. This year All major or active Associations (9 of them) are
LSSSDC expects to assess some 16,000 represented in its Governing Body, chaired by
candidates; around 70 per cent of those Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr Reddy’s Lab which
certified will get placed, including in top 25. is India’s 2nd largest life sciences company.

Apprenticeship: About a year ago, the Council has connected with over 500
Council was advised to catalyse Apprenticeship organisations, small, medium and large,
as per Apprenticeship Act 1961 and impart working on the various initiatives of skilling,
practical training by leveraging National apprenticeship, hiring, and RPL. Most of the top
Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). In 30 Pharma companies including Dr Reddy’s,
a year, the Council has triggered some 5000 Sun Pharma, Zydus, Lupin, Cadila, Hetero,
apprenticeship contracts in over 12 job roles, in Microlabs, Biocon to name a few are closely
over 100 companies. involved with LSSSDC and a large number have
accredited them in-house skilling facilities with
RPL: Under government’s Recognition of LSSSDC.
Prior Learning (RPL) Program which focuses
on assessment and certification of the existing What placement support or
workforce i.e. candidates who have never been apprenticeship support is provided to the
assessed earlier but have acquired skills whilst students post the completion of training?
on the job; LSSSDC has completed over 60000
assessments, with about 30000 of them targeted As mentioned earlier, leveraging the Associations
in this year. and with its strong industry connect, the Council
is catalysing or triggering placements and
What are the skill shortfalls that exist in apprenticeships across various companies in this
the Life Sciences sector in India? sector. This year the Council expects to trigger
over 5000 Apprenticeships and place some 8000
Shortfalls are there both in hard and soft certified candidates in the major 15 plus job roles.
skills and are found across all verticals and I am pleased to share that a student pursuing our
at all levels. Around 15-20 job roles make up Bioinformatics Associate module, has secured an
about 70 per cent of the total job volume out offer of Rs 11.5 lakh per year which is by far the
of which approximately 9 lakh are employed highest recorded in the entire skilling ecosystem.
in the Life Sciences sector. Around half of the In fact, the batch (of 14) package was in the range
15-20 major roles are at school leaving level, Rs 4-11.5 lakh per year.
for example, Machine Operator, Manufacturing
Assistant, Store Assistant, Packaging Assistant What are your future plans for LSSDC?
etc. Skilling in these job roles is financed
by government of India under its Pradhan The Council plans to set up Centres of Excellence
Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) (CoE) through associations and companies and
which is implemented through National Skill focus on the 10 major clusters of Life Sciences
Development Corporation (NSDC). The other which accounts for 90 per cent of activity.
50 per cent are college-level job roles such as
Medical Sales Rep (MSR), QC Chemist, and The Council has had a detailed dialogue
Manufacturing Chemist etc. which need to be with Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) through
financed outside of the Central government which select skilling modules will be embedded
funding. as electives in the final year of B Pharm and M
Pharm students. The scores of which will be
How many students have been trained counted towards the final score of the candidate.
through LSSDC until now and in which PCI will also encourage candidates to take
sectors? on Apprenticeship opportunities. This ‘skill
advancement’ program is expected to make
By year-end, the Council would have Assessed Pharma students more job-ready.
around 50000 candidates across the major job
roles in the Life Sciences sector. The current The Council will continue to pursue increased
Placement rate is at around 70 per cent of those use of cutting edge technology to bring scale and
certified. speed to its activities, including the promotion
of its Virtual Reality / Simulation-based skilling
modules.

30 SPEAKING WITH BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

“Innovation is key to bring down
cost of CAR-T therapy in India”

« services from this centre. In the next phase, other
research services will move to this centre.
Dr Mahesh Bhalgat,
Apart from this, a major challenge that we
Chief Operation Officer, encountered while setting up the new facility was
the environment or the ecosystem we are stepping
Syngene International into. For example, within the Genome Valley we
were looking at what kind of talent exists around us,
Limited, Bengaluru what kind of companies are already established such
as vaccine manufacturers, biotech units, chemistry
Bengaluru headquartered Syngene International service companies etc. Interestingly, we realized
Limited, a global contract research organization, that our centre is bringing in a whole new set of
has announced the commissioning of the first expectations and learnings from how discovery
phase of its new R&D centre in Hyderabad. When fully R&D is done, that furthers integrates into the drug
commissioned by the end of this year at an investment discovery process. So we shall move into this new
of Rs 167 crore, the centre will cover a total of 94000 environment accordingly step by step, moving from
sq. ft. and house around 270 scientists. Located in chemistry to biology.
Genome Valley, the R&D centre is fully digitised based
on an internet-based, innovative, analytical laboratory What are your expectations from Telangana
solution. To find out more about the developments government to enable the company’s growth
taking place at Syngene, BioSpectrum interacted with in Hyderabad?
Dr Mahesh Bhalgat, Chief Operation Officer, Syngene.
Edited excerpts; Genome Valley has grown so fast over the years
with all the infrastructure in the past few years. The
What are the unique highlights of the new evolution has been fantastic. However, the main
R&D centre at Hyderabad? problem is that it is far away from the city. Now in
our business, we host a lot of customers and naturally
Syngene’s new R&D centre is located in MN Park they will have problems in commuting to our centre.
at the heart of the Genome Valley. This is the This is something that the government of Telangana
company’s first operational research centre outside can look into. It will be a lot easier for us as we will be
Bengaluru. The centre is completely paperless that able to attract the right talent, our partners will find it
has digitisation and automation features including easy to connect, and so on.
electronic laboratory notebooks and analytical
intelligence. Our equipment here is more digitally What are the specific job opportunities in
controlled and monitored that makes the entire store at the new centre?
process more convenient and comfortable. Also,
the building benefits from environment-friendly At Syngene as a whole, we recruit around 1 PhD,
measures such as energy conservation through the 13-14 people with master’s degree, and 4-5 with
use of solar power and limited plastic use. bachelor’s degree every week. Now since this is a
smaller facility that is more focused on chemistry,
The safety features of the centre include
laboratories built with fire-rated walls and panels, a “OVER THE YEARS, THE PHARMA COMPANIES HAVE
dedicated flame proof area for storage of hazardous BEEN EVALUATING THEIR PIPELINES AND DECIDING
materials away from the laboratories and dedicated HOW MUCH WORK THEY WANT TO DO IN-HOUSE,
water lines for fire hydrant and sprinkler systems. AND HOW MUCH THEY WANT TO OUTSOURCE. AS A
This is how we have made things much better for our RESULT, WITH THE OUTSOURCE BUDGET INCREASING,
R&D centre as compared to our existing facility in MORE BUSINESS IS COMING INTO THE CONTRACT
Bengaluru. Initially, we will offer discovery chemistry RESEARCH SPACE.”

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com SPEAKING WITH 31

the number of hiring will vary but our “THERE IS NO DEARTH OF TALENT IN INDIA. A LOT
requirements will be diverse. We need OF INDIANS ARE DRIVING INNOVATIONS IN VARIOUS
people with experience and we need SECTORS SUCH HAS PHARMA, IT IN OTHER PARTS OF
freshers too. We work with a specific THE WORLD. SO, INDIANS SURELY HAVE THE TRAIT IN
THEIR GENES. THE MAIN QUESTION HERE IS HOW DO
set of ratio of high, medium and low WE PUT THE INNOVATION IN CREATING NEW DRUGS,
experienced staff so that we are able to NEW MOLECULES, NEW TARGETS.”
add more value to the company. And
it is this methodology of hiring talent Innovation is the key to bring down the cost of CAR-T
that makes our company attract the therapy in India.
top pharmaceutical companies in the
country. How can the process of innovation be
enhanced in India?
Besides the technologically
advanced R&D centre, what more There is no dearth of talent in India. A lot of Indians
is developing at Syngene right are driving innovations in various sectors such has
now? pharma, IT in other parts of the world. So, Indians
surely have the trait in their genes. The main
So in the monoclonal antibody question here is how do we put the innovation in
space, which is quite a hot area of creating new drugs, new molecules, new targets.
biotherapeutics nowadays, we have If we look back at when an Indian company has
developed a model that tells you how the process come up with an innovation, it has not been very
of glycosylation works. This provides us with good successful with respect to its launch. That is because
predictive analysis for our studies. Our team of a conducive environment is not there, it is still
research informatics are working on leveraging data developing. We need an environment where there
from historical experiences, generate models that are clinicians, regulatory system, talent and finances
will help them to carry out the required data analysis together throughout since drug development is a
and derive the conclusions. That is how Syngene long process. This is where India has to evolve and
is exploring technology. Besides this, the market build the comfort and credibility. This can be done
scenario is constantly changing. by increasing more partnerships and collaborations
within India and globally. The pace of change needs
Over the years, the pharma companies have been to be faster in order to achieve all this.
evaluating their pipelines and deciding how much
work they want to do in-house, and how much they Dr Manbeena Chawla
want to outsource. As a result, with the outsource [email protected]
budget increasing, more business is coming into the
contract research space. On the other hand, we are
also working with small biotech companies which are
focused on developing specific therapies, for example

CAR-T cell therapy.

How do you foresee the penetration of CAR-T
cell therapy in India?

CAR-T cell therapy is an expensive one that comes
with a sustainability issue. It is worth a million
dollars. Hence, there is a need for innovation in the
CAR-T cell therapy, cell and gene therapy space so
that the pricing can be brought down. Unless it is
affordable, it will not a feasible solution. Currently,
the industrialised world is working on making this
space more affordable. Coming to India, there is a
large patient population that can be benefited from

these therapies. But again, affordability is the main
issue. This can be handled by bringing together the
right scientific arm, a heavy data component and the

innovative approaches of the original technology.
This also requires support from the government
in term of the regulatory system and funding.

32 SPEAKING WITH BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

“We will continue to
invest in our India business”

« aim to make our innovations accessible to people
in need, thereby bringing down the burden of
Luca Visini, diabetes in India. We will continue to invest in our
India business and continue to deliver life-saving
Managing Director, breakthrough medicines and solutions to address the
country’s specific health needs.
Eli Lilly and Company
As Diabetes constitutes the largest part
(India) Pvt. Ltd, of Lilly’s portfolio in India, how much is
spent on the R&D and how much revenue is
Gurugram generated?

In 2019, US pharma major Eli Lilly and Company All our research and development is consolidated
completed 25 years of its presence in India globally. We have R&D facilities in 8 countries,
through its Gurugram headquartered wholly and we conduct clinical research in more than 55
owned subsidiary Lilly India. Currently headed by countries. Over 7800 of our global employees, that’s
Luca Visini who is serving as the Managing Director about 23 per cent of our workforce, is engaged in
of Lilly India, the company is committed to offer research. In 2018 alone, Lilly invested $5,307 million
advanced treatment options for chronic diseases such in R&D which was 21.6 per cent as a percentage of
as diabetes, lung cancer, gastric cancer, osteoporosis, our sales.
men’s health and growth-hormone deficiency. To
celebrate this landmark occasion with Lilly India, How was the growth of the company during
BioSpectrum got in touch with Luca Visini in an the FY18-19 in India, and what are your
elaborate conversation about the company’s growth expectations from this year?
and future plans. Edited Excerpts;
I am happy to share with you that Lilly India is
Since its inception in India 25 years ago, Eli growing every year and we are excited that we have
Lilly has developed around 8 products for the opportunity to serve unmet needs in the market
diabetes treatment in India. How has been through our medicines. We are optimistic about
the journey and the subsequent evolution our business prospects and the value we bring to
over the years? patients in India and will continue to invest in our
India business to deliver life-saving breakthrough
Our journey of over 25 years in India has been both medicines and solutions to address the country’s
rewarding and challenging. We have maintained specific health needs. We collaborate with various
a steady growth pace and have made available our industry associations to promote dialogue on
most innovative drugs for patients with diabetes bringing more predictability to the pharmaceutical
in India. We see a large unmet need for India’s environment in India. Predictability on various fronts
growing diabetic population. Over the years we have such as Intellectual Property protection, pricing
introduced several innovative diabetes drugs in India policies, new drug launch process, streamlined
to cater to this unmet need. These include human regulatory structures and uniform marketing and
insulin, analogue insulin, basal insulin and the first commercial practices will be good for the industry
once-weekly GLP-1 therapy in 2016. India has the and will help promote innovation.
second highest number of patients with diabetes.
Given the current trends, it is projected for India Besides diabetes, Eli Lilly has developed very
to have the highest number of diabetes patients by few products in its other priority areas in
2045. We have strategic partnerships with Cipla India. A growth hormone related product was
and Lupin for marketing and distribution of our developed back in 1999. Are there any new
diabetes medicines to expand access to healthcare products coming up in this area? Why has
practitioners and patients. This is done with the there been so much lag?

Given our legacy in diabetes, we have a strong

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com SPEAKING WITH 33

portfolio and an excellent track record of drug "Our new product pipeline includes
innovation in this disease area. But we have also
focused on other therapies where there is urgent molecules in different stages of
need for new medical solutions such as cancer,
bone health, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), erectile development for diabetes, oncology,
dysfunction and growth disorder. We launched a new
medicine for RA and entered into the autoimmune immunology and pain. We are also working
segment in India in 2018. As and when there is a new
drug development, we analyze the need gap in the on innovative drug delivery devices.
market and introduce the medicine in the market.
Our new product pipeline includes molecules Today, Lilly has one of the richest
in different stages of development for diabetes,
oncology, immunology and pain. We are also working mid-to-late stage pipelines in its history,
on innovative drug delivery devices. Today, Lilly
has one of the richest mid-to-late stage pipelines in with 7 molecules in regulatory review, 18
its history, with 7 molecules in regulatory review,
18 molecules in Phase III clinical development, 13 molecules in Phase III clinical
molecules in Phase II testing and 24 molecules in
Phase I. We would like to bring these innovative development, 13 molecules in Phase II
molecules to India depending on the market needs
over the next decade. testing and 24 molecules in Phase I. We

What are the recent developments in the area would like to bring these innovative
of cancer at Eli Lilly? Any new products in the
pipeline for India? molecules to India depending on the

We have a strong portfolio in oncology including market needs over the next decade.
lung and gastric cancer. In 2017, we launched the
of Education and Healthcare.
cancer to patients in India. This is another drug EDUCATION: As part of our commitment
we believe can improve the treatment prognosis
for Indian patients suffering from stomach cancer. to the local community, Lilly supports a school
Early last year, Lilly acquired LOXO Oncology which for the underprivileged called – KADAM - STEP
was the largest ever acquisition by Lilly to broaden UP. Located in Jharsa, Guragon, the school is
its cancer treatment efforts. This acquisition will run with the support from Humana People India
expand the scope of Lilly’s oncology portfolio into (HPPI) since February 2014. We provide remedial
precision medicines through the addition of a educational support through tuition classes for
marketed therapy and a pipeline of highly selective children, after they return home from school and a
potential medicines for patients with genomically three-month basic computer programme. The school
also runs the Mid-day Meal programme for children
For India, Eli Lilly has another priority area at the centre through Akshaya Patra Foundation.
which is untouched- osteoporosis. What are Lilly India has also partnered with United Way of
the plans in this sector? Delhi to support other education related initiatives
in the past.
I would like to state here that osteoporosis has been
on our agenda for a long time. In 2004, we launched HEALTHCARE: In the space of healthcare, Lilly
a recombinant DNA medicine for osteoporosis India has partnered with United Way of Delhi to work
in India. Then in 2010, we launched a medicine with Project HOPE for a comprehensive capacity
administering device that made it easier for patients building programme for primary care physicians.
to administer their treatment. The current treatment The programme is focused on the prevention, early
in osteoporosis continues to be highly innovative and diagnosis, management and timely referral of non-
communicable diseases (NCDs). In partnership with
As CSR initiatives at Eli Lilly, what is in store the Uttar Pradesh Ministry of Health, Project HOPE
for India in 2020? is leading a project to build the capacity of healthcare
professionals in the public sector to promote and
Lilly is working on community initiatives in the areas practice relevant, up-to-date patient-centric care.
The training modules include pathophysiology and
management of common NCDs, basic principles
of healthy lifestyle, treatment and management of
complications. We also have a course that focuses on
the development of interpersonal and counselling
skills.

Dr Manbeena Chawla
[email protected]

34 SPEAKING WITH BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

“Our diamond burs are
the world’s first-of-a-kind”

« is different because Rs 85 is set for 3 teeth in the
market, while our price of Rs 102 is set for 9 teeth.
Malay Dikshit, We will be launching the product around April-
May 2020. Further we also have innovative dental
Founder & CEO, alginates coming up. Piscium is also in the process
to launch nano engineered implants and screw-for
Piscium Health dental & ortho, nickel titanium root canal, dental
alginate and fractured file remover in the future.
Sciences, Mumbai
What is the current market scenario for such
Mumbai based Piscium Health Sciences products in India and globally?
has emerged as India’s first domestic
startup involved in the smart dental So our diamond burs are the world’s first ever product
equipment space. Currently incubated at the Society of its kind in the market and it has a huge potential. As
for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), an in India, all the dental equipment is imported as their
umbrella organisation at the Indian Institute of quality hasn’t been different for many years. Diamond
Technology (IIT) Bombay, and recognized by the burs are not specifically cheaper than the present
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP), Piscium has developed its first indigenously alternatives but they are definitely cost effective in the
developed product in the form of nano engineered long run as they are long lasting and they give better
dental burs, after securing a grant of Rs 50 lakh from results to patients which is the main concern with
the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance any doctor. As for the market scenario, since this is
Council (BIRAC). Ahead of the market launch of the only product, we have a huge market to explore
the dental burs in April-May 2020, BioSpectrum and it is growing at a CAGR of 12-13 per cent. India’s
interacted with Malay Dikshit, Founder & CEO, dental market has a huge potential with 80 per cent
Piscium Health Sciences to delve more into this of the population suffering from some kind of dental
unique development. Edited Excerpts; problems and 50 per cent of them visiting dentists
regularly. Indian dental consumable market is priced
Please share more details about the at $240 million and the dental equipment required for
innovation behind the nano engineered dental almost all procedures are imported from various parts
burs. of the world. Overall, the global dental consumable
market is priced at $300 billion. Out of this, the dental
Dental burs are small drilling equipment used for bur market in India is priced at $78 million, and at
cutting hard tissues such as tooth or bone. They $182 billion globally.
are made of steel, stainless steel, tungsten carbide
and diamond grit. Existing burs that are available What are the major plans lined up for the future?
in the market generally use diamond dust on metal
blade tool. What we have done is grown nano sized Presently we are based out of IIT-B campus in Mumbai
synthetic diamonds on a specialized grade metal for and we are planning to expand our manufacturing
a long lasting smoother cavity. So it is the world’s facility soon around Mumbai in industrial zone. As of
first nano engineered diamond burs. It has many now, we are not planning any collaboration but we are
advantages in terms of heat generation, lubricity, looking forward to tap into the distribution market for
tooth smoothness, microleakage etc. Another wider reach of the products once they are launched.
advantage is in terms of cost effectivity. The price We hope to become an idea magnet for path-breaking
of a single bur in the market is Rs 85 as against R&D in medical sciences by creating a platform for
our pricing of Rs 102. But the price value equation reaching out to the entire country, and even the world,
with innovative products. We are looking forward to
creating 2-3 innovations per year.

Vallari Mathure
[email protected]

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com TECHNOLOGY 35

How technology can
help for Elder Care in India?

There is a dire need for tech-enabled solutions «
for elder care in India. Primarily, there are
two reasons for this – The rising senior citizen Prashanth Reddy,
population and increasing urban nuclear families.
A possibly revolutionary change which the private Founder & Director,
companies have brought in is the use of technology at
each step in their programmes to support elder care in Anvayaa Kin Care,
the country.
Hyderabad
Population ageing is a growing problem across the
globe, and India is no exception. Although the Indian countries tend to feel stresses and worried that they’re
demographic is skewed towards young people—which not providing adequate support to their parents.
is a good thing— in the short term, the country will
have to deal with a burgeoning elderly population in Living separately from one’s kids can be an ordeal
the decades to come. This is a concern that needs to be of its own, and the elderly have to face several other
addressed now, as building systems and environments problems when unassisted. It can lead to several
for an entire demographic takes time. While the mental health issues, or the aggravation of present
population as a whole is set to grow by around 40 per disorders. It leaves them vulnerable to theft, electronic
cent in the 2006-2050 period, the elderly population scams and frauds, and even physical abuse.
will have grown by 7 times as much, in the same
period. In fact, due to increasing life expectancy, the How Tech is Changing Elderly Care
increase in the population of people over 80 years of
age will be 700 per cent. With higher welfare of the While the government has time and again vowed to
population in general, the senior population has vastly increase expenditure on healthcare and elderly welfare
different expectations and requirements than even programs, those promises are either too far in the future
a couple decades ago, as they are used to a certain or woefully inadequate. For example, the incumbent
level of comfort and solace. When seniors have the Prime Minister has stated that the government is set to
assistance and support of a variety of healthcare increase healthcare spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by
services and wellness professionals, they feel a greater 2025, from the present 1.2 per cent. Even this initiative
sense of belonging and involvement in society, as falls short when you notice that the global average for
opposed to feeling like they have been ‘abandoned’ in this metric is about six per cent.
the economic churn of this democracy.
Eyeing a key value making endeavour, the
Rise in Nuclear Families private sector has started venturing into healthcare
and wellness services for the elderly. A possibly
Moreover, a second major factor to consider is the revolutionary change which the private companies
sharp rise in the number of nuclear families, and their have brought in is the use of technology at each step in
migration to Metro cities and abroad. Although this is their programmes.
not a problem in itself, it can create situations wherein
the parents of people in nuclear families can be left Various tech-based solutions can be deployed
on their own terms, without a proper support system. to assist the elderly with their daily needs, and
NSSO (National Sample Survey Organisation) data even emergencies. For example, cameras and other
from 2014 shows that households that comprise senior monitoring devices are utilised to protect the elderly
citizens spend 3.8X on healthcare per month, than ones from abuse, as they can be placed in discreet locations
that don’t. Elderly parents are increasingly reliant on to ensure that hired caregivers aren’t causing any
their kids for basic needs, healthcare and other utilities. trouble or mistreating seniors. Furthermore, the
Also, their kids who have moved to different cities and elderly feel more at ease when they use apps to take
care of themselves, by tracking healthcare, setting
reminders, buying medicine etc. They feel a greater
sense of independence this way.

36 OPINION BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Why are low-priced drugs
suddenly drawing criticism?

« based online pharmacy, informed the FDA that it had
found N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in multiple
Dr Ashish Birla, ranitidine products in certain test conditions. US
FDA said it was examining the facts, but did not
General Manager, issue a recall notice. Also, they had initially indicated
that they found low levels of NDMA presence in
Medical Affairs, ranitidine.

JB Chemicals and Thereby, globally many pharmaceutical
companies started a voluntary recall of their
Pharmaceuticals ranitidine antacid batches keeping patients’ safety
in mind. However, none of the international health
Limited (JBCPL), Thane regulatory agencies had asked for the recall of any
ranitidine products. Also, in US, not all ranitidine
The year 2019 was a roller-coaster year for the medicines marketed were recalled, since, US FDA
Indian pharmaceutical industry, especially
for the generic drug-makers. The year saw discontinuing ranitidine, even the Indian Drug
discussions on quality of generic medicines and Controller General of India (DCGI) informed
all state/UT drug controllers to ask all API and
prices of generic drugs in the USA. Furthermore, formulation manufacturers under their jurisdiction to
not to forget in the latter half of the year, US Food verify their products and take appropriate measures
and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert on to ensure patient safety.
ranitidine and later for metformin, all these were a
major setbacks for Indian drug manufacturers. Again in November 2019, ranitidine gained
attention when US FDA set the acceptable daily
However, the issue of ranitidine and metformin intake limit for NDMA at 0.096 micrograms or
was very different from other developments which 0.32 ppm for ranitidine.
has affected the Indian pharmaceutical industry.
While the other incidents were pertaining to the Similar Issue of Valsartan and
quality and pricing of generic medicines, the Metformin:
ranitidine and metformin issue were more about an
“impurity” present in the drug. Last year in July 2018, FDA had
been investigating and found
The molecule ranitidine came to the limelight, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)
after the US FDA undertook tests after a Connecticut- in medicines prescribed for blood
pressure and heart failure called ARBs
“Globally many pharmaceutical companies (Valsartan) and had recommended
started a voluntary recall of their ranitidine numerous recalls when it discovered
antacid batches keeping patients’ safety in mind. unacceptable levels of NDMA. Another
However, none of the international health popular drug prescribed to
regulatory agencies had asked for the recall of millions of patients
any ranitidine products. Also, in US, not all worldwide is Metformin.
ranitidine medicines marketed were recalled, This drug too, in December
since, US FDA did not have any scientific evidence 2019, faced considerable
to recommend discontinuing ranitidine, even the criticism and careening
Indian DCGI informed all state/UT drug control- over the presence of a
lers to ask all API and formulation manufactur- possible carcinogen. The
ers under their jurisdiction to verify their drug which is used to
products and take appropriate measures to control high blood
ensure patient safety.’’ sugar was under the

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com OPINION 37

US FDA scanner which was investigated again for the “Not all ranitidine or metformin drugs had NDMA.
presence of traces of carcinogenic elements. It may have been a possible contaminant formed
during the manufacturing process which as
What is NDMA and why suddenly NDMA mentioned earlier, can very well be controlled.
scare which pulled ranitidine and metformin In fact, the EDQM had enlisted more than 30
into a major issue? drugs with possible NDMA contaminations.
However, first Valsartan, then Ranitidine & now
NDMA is a known environmental contaminant which Metformin which are now in the news. It’s
is commonly found in water, foods, dairy products, interesting to note that all the 3 medicines
found to contain traces of NDMA were available
human carcinogen which may cause cancer when for use in numerous countries over decades with
consumed regularly at high unacceptable levels. The a huge amount of clinical experience, however,
primary sources of human exposure to NDMA are little or no known serious adverse events have
tobacco smoke, chewing tobacco, diet [meat, beer, been observed with these medicinal products till
date. All 3 products are decades old, time
(shampoos and cleansers) and other household tested, & prescribed by healthcare
goods, such as detergents and pesticides. professionals from various specialties.”

In the Pharmaceutical manufacturing, it is an are now in the news.
impurity which can be controlled and may be found It’s interesting to note that all the three medicines
in certain batches due to faulty manufacturing
process/using low grade raw materials and “reusing” found to contain traces of NDMA were available for
use in numerous countries over decades with a huge
solvents during bulk production. amount of clinical experience, however, little or no
The FDA also observed that known serious adverse events have been observed
NDMA does not form in with these medicinal products till date. All the three
typical human stomach products are decades old, time tested, and prescribed
conditions, and hence by healthcare professionals from various specialties.
later on newer testing
methods were Latest update by US FDA and DCGI:
advised, which
found low or absent None of the international regulatory authorities
levels of NDMA have asked for a ban where trace amount of
presence. NDMA was found, instead the agencies have asked
The pharmaceutical companies to test their products and
International continue to sell, only if NDMA is found to be within
Conference on permissible limits. Also, the Indian DCG(I) has only
Harmonization (ICH) asked the state bodies to check with manufacturers
Guidance 2018 [M7 (R1)] on the NDMA levels in ranitidine.
stated that if people consume
the USFDA has categorically stated, “Don’t abruptly
96 ng of NDMA daily for 70 years stop taking your prescription medications without
than the probable risk of getting
cancer would be 1 in 100,000 patients. care professional has a more complete picture of your
This scenario seems extremely unlikely health and health history and can help you make
as, the medication is to be used only under the best decisions for your care. They know about
physician supervision and rarely would any your health condition, including understanding what
patient consume this daily for 70 years. other drugs have worked for you or not, and can
help determine the next steps if your drug has been
Only low priced drugs have NDMA? recalled.” 1

Not all ranitidine or metformin drugs had NDMA. It Hence, it is the need of the hour to educate
may have been a possible contaminant formed during patients who in turn should not panic and continue
the manufacturing process which as mentioned to trust their doctor’s advice on any change of therapy
earlier, can very well be controlled. In fact, the which may be required.
European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines
(EDQM) had enlisted more than 30 drugs with

Valsartan, then Ranitidine and now Metformin which

38 PEOPLE NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

OPPI ropes in Sharad Tyagi as next President

The Organisation of Vice President and Executive
Committee of OPPI for the last
Pharmaceutical Producers
ten years, heading important
of India (OPPI), which Work Groups & Committees
for OPPI. He takes over from
represents the research-based
pharmaceutical companies, A. Vaidheesh, Managing
has appointed Sharad Tyagi as Director, India, Glaxo
President for a period of three SmithKline Pharmaceuticals
years, with effect from April Ltd, who has been OPPI
01, 2020. Tyagi is Managing
Director, BoehringerIngelheim President for the past three
India and has also been a years.

FICCI appoints Sridhar Venkatesh
Dr GSK Velu for TNSC
steps in as MD
FICCI (The Federation Group of Hospitals, a
of Indian Chambers of chain of multi-specialty of GSK India
Hospitals; Chairman at
Commerce and Industry) Maxivision Eye Hospitals, Sridhar Venkatesh has been appointed
a national chain of eye as Managing Director & VP of
has appointed a serial care super-specialty GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals
healthcare entrepreneur, hospitals; Founder & Limited effective April 1, 2020. He
Dr GSK Velu as the new Co- Director at Apollo White succeeds AnnaswamyVaidheesh who
Chairperson of FICCI Tamil Dental & Apollo Dialysis; retired from the company effective
and Anchor Investor March31,2020. Venkatesh is a senior
Nadu State Council (TNSC) at Stakeboat Capital, a business leader with more than 24 years
private equity fund. He of diverse experience in pharmaceuticals
for the year 2020. DrVelu is also the Honorary and healthcare and has a strong track
is Chairman & Managing Consul to The Republic of record of success in multiple roles within
Director at Trivitron Estonia in India, wherein GSK. He joined GSK in 2011 as Head
Healthcare, a prominent the Honorary Consul of Commercial, Established Products,
medical technology jurisdiction states include
company; Chairman & Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Branded
Managing Director at Andhra Pradesh and Generics
Neuberg Diagnostics, a Telangana. and moved
global pathology brand as General
operating in India, UAE Manager,
and South Africa; Mentor Singapore
& Shareholder at Kauvery before
taking up
the role of
Commercial
Head, India
from 2014
to 2016. He
was then
promoted as VP of Central America &
Caribbean before taking the current
role as Vice President, Emerging
Markets East with direct management
of six markets (Philippines, Vietnam,
Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri

Lanka).

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com PEOPLE NEWS 39

OPPI brings KG as new DG Takeda appoints

The Organisation of healthcare startups and is on new area
the Advisory Panel of several
Pharmaceutical Producers institutions along with being Head for ICMEA
of India (OPPI), which a Board Member of other
organisations. Takeda Pharmaceutical has
represents the research- announced the appointment
based pharmaceutical of DrMahenderNayak as Area
companies, has appointed KG Head for the Company’s ICMEA
Ananthakrishnan (KG) as its (India, C.I.S., Middle East,
Turkey, and Africa) Area. In his
new Director General (DG). current capacity, DrNayak will
lead the company’s operations
KG takes over from Kanchana from Dubai, United Arab
TK, who moves to an OPPI Emirates (U.A.E.), where he will
be based. DrNayak has more
member company in a senior than 20 years of performance-
leadership role. He brings rich driven leadership experience in
and diverse experience in the the biopharmaceutical industry,
pharmaceutical industry in having worked in multi-national
India. Former Vice President and regional companies. Before
and Managing Director, South this role, he oversaw Portfolio
Asia Region, MSD India, Management for Takeda’s Growth
KG continues to mentor and Emerging Markets Business
Unit based in Singapore (2018
Bill Gates to focus to 2020). Prior to that, DrNayak
more on global health was the General Manager of
Takeda’s operations in
in tackling climate change. Korea. DrNayak
He will continue to serve as started his career
as a physician in
Technology Advisor to CEO Bengaluru and
has an MBA in
Satya Nadella and other Marketing. He
leaders in the company. joined Takeda in
2011 and since
On June 27, 2008, Gates then, grew within
the company to
transitioned out of a day-to- hold various senior
day role in the company to international and
spend more time on his work regional
at the Bill & Melinda Gates roles.
Foundation. He served as
Microsoft Corp. has Microsoft’s chairman of the
announced that Co-Founder board until February 4, 2014.
and Technology Advisor The Bill & Melinda Gates
Bill Gates has stepped Foundation which is pretty
down from the company’s much active in India as well,
Board of Directors to works to help all people lead
dedicate more time to his healthy, productive lives.
philanthropic priorities In developing countries, it
including global health, focuses on improving people’s
development, education, and health and giving them the
his increasing engagement chance to lift themselves
out of hunger and extreme
poverty. Gates along with
Wellcome and Mastercard
recently launched $125

million fund to finance

COVID-19 treatments.

40 ACADEMIC NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Pondicherry inks exchange programme with Germany

Pondicherry University has between the two universities. The Education Ministries of
signed a Memorandum of Pondicherry University is India and Germany will invest
Understanding (MoU) with Koblenz University’s second €3.5 million each over a period
Indian partner university after of four years from 2020-24
Koblenz University of Applied IIT-Madras and it is a promising to encourage and support
Sciences (RheinAhrCampus), prospect since Koblenz is ranked cooperation between higher
among the top 10 applied education institutions in each
Remagen, Germany, for sciences universities in Germany. country.
academic collaboration through
student and faculty exchange

Karnataka signs MMHRC teams
up with Hope
MoU with Queensland Africa University

for biotech research

The Queensland Government, through Trade and
Investment Queensland (TIQ) and Study Queensland,

has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

with the Government of Karnataka’s Information
Technology (IT), Biotechnology and Science &

Technology Department. This partnership enables
university researchers and academics undertaking
innovative work in the IT and biotech work in the
north-east Australian state to share learnings and
network with contemporaries in Bengaluru. Q-Pod
- a Queensland-India hub for education, innovation
and entrepreneurship - has been established by
Study Queensland, a unit of TIQ that administers the
Government’s International Education and Training
Strategy to Advance Queensland. Queensland’s
biotech and IT communities have played a pivotal
role in addressing the state’s health, agriculture,
energy challenges.

Meenakshi Mission in developing and
Hospital & Research delivering certain
courses for medical
Centre (MMHRC), and paramedical
students and setting
Madurai has signed up medical labs.
a Memorandum In addition to
of Understanding extending its support
in education and
(MoU) with Hope training, the hospital
would also provide
Africa University, a telemedicine, cancer
higher educational care, and specialty
institution in Burundi, consultation, and
Africa in the areas conduct medical
of telemedicine, camps in Africa
education, training, offering world class
cancer care as well as treatment at very
specialty consultation. affordable prices.
According to the MoU,
Meenakshi Mission
Hospital will help
Hope Africa University

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com R&D NEWS 41

RCB conducts research ILS innovates
on pigmentary disorder malaria
detection
A research team led by mitochondria signaling pathways assay
DrRajender K. Motianiat the in pigmentation and to identify
Faridabad based Regional the key proteins that regulate Bhubaneswar based
pigmentation. The researchers Institute of Life Sciences
Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) would then target these signaling (ILS) and Bengaluru based
cascades with FDA approved Jigsaw Bio Solutions,
has received a grant of Rs 3.6 drugs to know whether any have come up with a
known drugs could be repurposed method that promises to
crore for a period of five years, for alleviating pigmentary overcome the problem of
disorders too. inadequate identification
to understand the problem of of asymptomatic carriers
pigmentary disorders. The aim of of malaria. The researchers
the new project is to delineate the have used a new concept
role of endoplasmic reticulum and of genome mining that
identifies identical multi-
NCCS speeds up repeat sequences (IMRS)
RBC generation in lab distributed throughout the
malaria parasite genome
Scientists at the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune have and successfully targeted
them to develop what is
developed a new approach to speed up red blood cells (RBCs) generation. called a ultra-sensitive
qPCR assay for malaria
Researchers across the world are exploring possibilities to generate RBCs diagnosis. Validation with
outside the body (in vitro) from haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These clinical samples collected
from malaria endemic
HSCs have the capability regions in India showed
to give rise to the different that that assays were highly
types of cells found in the sensitive - about 20-100
blood. Various groups have times more than the
been able to produce RBCs traditional method.
in the laboratory from
HSCs. However, the process
takes a long time - around
twenty-one days. The
research team at NCCS has
found that the process can
be speeded up by adding a
very low concentration of a
small protein molecule called ‘transforming growth factor β1’ (TGF-β1),

along with a hormone called ‘erythropoietin’ (EPO), to the growth medium.

They could cut down the process time by three days.

42 R&D NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

IISc finds SCTIMST develops technology
for treating brain aneurysms
ways to detect
The research team of of arteries of complex shapes
bacteria SreeChitraThirunal Institute in order to reduce the risk of
of Medical Science and migration of the device. The
Researchers from the Indian unique design is in its weave
Institute of Science (IISc) have Technology (SCTIMST), also makes this stent resistant
to kinking or twisting, when it
found a way to develop a bed- Thiruvanthapuram, under the is placed in tortuous arteries
side, table-top device for quick Department of Science and and those with complex
diagnosis of bacterial infection Technology, has developed shapes. Even a 180 degrees
and treat it using optimal an innovative intracranial bend does not occlude the
antibiotic treatment while lumen of the stent. A portion
avoiding antibiotic resistance flow diverter stent for the of the wires is made radio-
in the bacteria. The method is opaque for better visibility in
a unique one in which Raman treatment of aneurysms of
microspectroscopy, otherwise the blood vessels of the brain. X –Rays and fluoroscopy thus
used to identify chemical bonds It is ready for transfer and
in materials, is used to rapidly further testing in animals, aiding accurate delivery of the
identify and check whether a followed by human trials. The diverter in the blood vessel.
disease causing bacterium is alive
or dead, and if alive, how strong flow diverter is designed to
or weak it is, based on which the
precise dose of antibiotics can be have a better grip on the walls
prescribed.

CSIO designs reading device for blinds

Central Scientific Instruments Audio files are organized in the to it. The device is standalone,
portable, completely wireless and
Organisation, (CSIO) Chandigarh machine and can be listened back internet enabled.
whenever the user wants to listen
has developed a scanner based
reading device called Divyanayan.
It is a reading machine for visually
impaired or illiterate person where
any printed or digital document
can be accessed in the form of
speech output. The device uses a
contact line scanner for acquiring
the image of a printed document. It
uses optical character recognition
technique to convert the image into
text and a text to speech converter
further converts the text into audio.

BBIOIOSSPPEECCTTRRUUMM || AAPPRRILIL22002200 || wwwwww.b.bioiossppeecctrtruummininddiaia.c.coomm SUSPUPLPILEIERRNNEEWWSS 4435

Agilent improves CCRAS signs
bioanalytical MoU with
workflow solutions JNU and ILBS

Agilent Technologies, a global

leader in life sciences, diagnostics, Central Council for Research in

and applied chemical markets has Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under

announced important improvements Thermo Fisher acquiresMinistry of AYUSH, Government of
to its line of regulated bioanalysis and India has entered a Memorandum
bioequivalence (BA/BE) offerings.
QIAGEN for $11.5Bof Understanding (MoU) with
BA/BE analysis is a critical step in the JawaharLal Nehru University

IMTECH partners with IIT-Bpharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical

manufacturing process for the regulatory
compliance and export of products in (JNU) and Institute of Liver
Thermo Fisher Scientific anhdasBialinanryouSnciceendcesth(eILBaScq) ufoisrition
of Germany based QIAGEcNooNpe.Vra.tiwonhiicnhthise ftiheeld porfoRveidsearrcohf
dCeSvIeRlo-IpnesdtimtuatrekoeftsMpiacrotibciuallarly in Inqduiaa,lity researmcholaeccuumlaerndiagnostics and&sDamevpelleoppmreepnatrantidonTrtaeicnhinngoliongies
wThecichhnosleorgvyes(IMasTEaChHu)b, for many Ube.Stw. een the rfeosrea€r3c9hepresr share in cash. TAhyeurtvreadnasa&ctTiornadviatilouneaslQMIAedGicEiNnea. t
aCnhdanEduigraorphehanas scilginniecdal trials. Agilaenndt faculty ofabpoptrhoxthime ately $11.5 billionTaht icsuRrreesneat recxhchCaonllgaeborartaetsio. nThermo
iamMpreomveodraintsduwmorokfflow solution to mineesttitutes. TheFiosbhjeerctihvaesofbuilt leading wspoeuclidalbtye adbilaegtnoogsetincesractaeptabniglitbilees,
cUunstdoemrsetrasn’dnineged(MtoUa)dwapitthto changtihnigs collaboraitniocnluidsintogcarllreyrgy and autoeivmidmenunceitsyo, ntrfaunnsdpalmanetntdailagnostics
sIcnideniatnifiIcn, stibtuutseinoefsTs,echrnegoulolagtyory, oanutdstate of thaenadrtcrliensiecaarlcohnicnology testinpgr.inQcIiAplGeEs Nof hAaysuravestdraonthgropuregshence
i(nIdITu)stBroymcbhaayllteonpgreosmaodtedressing maarneyas of healtihncamreoelsepcueclaiarllydiagnostics wmiuthltioampicrsodstuucdtiepsoarntfdolaiolsofosacfuesteyd,
scoofltlwabaoreraatnivdedraetsaeaserchu.riTtyheconcerns. iTnhperojects anodnmiinssfeiocntious disease and eofftihcaecrygorfoAwytuhrvoepdpaoIrntutenrivtieenst.ioTnhse
bMigogUeswt pilol tfeancitliiatlaitme epxacchtaonf gthee systemwfhorere both thceoimnsbtiintuedtecsocmanpany will accfeolrereamteertghiendgehveealoltphmchenaltleonf gheisgher-
BoAf i/dBeEasa,ndaelvyesilos pisminecnrteoafsendewproductisviigtynificantly csopmecpilfeicmiteyn, tfeaasctehr and morseucchoamspnroenh-eanlcsoivheoltiecsftasttythlaivtermay
aknndowreldedugcedancodsetnphearnscaemhpilgeh. improve patient outcomes adnidseraesdeu(cNeAthFeLDco)s.t of care.
other.

44 SUPPLIER NEWS BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

Gandhi Automations bags two awards

Mumbai based Gandhi sophisticated systems which
Automations has bagged can be integrated with BMS
two awards in a row at – Building Management
prestigious events across two Systems. Gandhi Automation
diverse industries winning provides customized solution
the automation industry
leader and automation as per specific need of a
supplier for the year 2020.
The company has upgraded particular sector including
its systems by moving on pharmaceutical, chemical,
automobile, food, cold
to Artificial Intelligence storage etc. where each
sector has a unique material
(AI). The products are handling and warehousing
requirement.
now being designed with

Waters launches
new products

Waters Corporation has Uniquely engineered to Bio-Rad launches
introduced new products that eliminate multiple testing
bring greater productivity steps, the new Discovery SARS CoV-2
and efficiency to materials X3 Differential Scanning
science research. The new standard test
Discovery X3 Differential Calorimeter (DSC)
Scanning Calorimeter, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., a global
Discovery Hybrid generates three times the leader of life science research and
Rheometers and TAM amount of experimental clinical diagnostic products, has
IV Micro XL isothermal data as a standard DSC, announced that through its Exact
microcalorimeter support effectively consolidating Diagnostics product line Bio-Rad has
three instruments into launched a SARS CoV-2 Standard to
the development of next- one. The new trio of high- support laboratory assay validation
generation, high performance performance rheometers of coronavirus (COVID-19) testing.
materials and products.
are five times more sensitive Bio-Rad is providing the SARS CoV-2
Standard to help labs validate their
than previous versions COVID-19 assay results and accelerate
and offer class-leading
access to testing. The SARS CoV-2
versatility in a platform Standard contains synthetic COVID-19
that makes it easier for
users of all experience RNA transcripts and human genomic
levels to obtain accurate DNA, allowing laboratories to test the
entire process of a molecular assay
rheological data. including extraction, amplification,
The new TAM
IV Micro XL is a and detection of the virus.
powerful isothermal

microcalorimeter

(IMC) specifically

designed to give
researchers a better
understanding of
battery discharging
and charging
dynamics, including
the precise mechanisms
of parasitic reactions that
shorten battery life.

Coronavirus Detection and
Assay Development

Emergence of new viral diseases, including the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
(COVID 19), MERS (2015) and SARS (2003) outbreaks, highlight the need
for fast methods to detect and identify target viruses at scale. They also
illustrate how research efforts to develop drug treatments or vaccines are
accelerated in times of urgent need. During the ongoing 2019 coronavirus
outbreak, the need for supplies and support for scientists working to curtail
spread of the virus is urgent and immediate.

Promega supports scientists working to understand the molecular
mechanisms by which emerging viruses infect humans and animals, and
to develop accurate detection methods. We provide collaborative technical
support, nucleic acid purification expertise, amplification products and
labeling technologies that streamline workflows and expedite the work of
research labs studying coronavirus and other emerging viral diseases.

Virus Research Products, Services and Support

Automation of Viral Nucleic Acid Extraction

Maxwell® instruments are used together with the Maxwell® Viral Total
Nucleic Acid purification kits to extract viral nucleic acids from up to
48 samples per run.

Learn about our Maxwell® Instruments paired with
the Viral Total Nucleic Acid purification kit at:

www.promega.com/virus

Promega Biotech India Private Limited : Unit No S -114, Salcon Aurum Building Jasola District Centre, New Delhi-110044
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]

46 EVENT REPORT BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

INDIA PHARMA AND INDIA MEDICAL DEVICE 2020

“Indian pharma industry likely to
reach $100B and medical devices
sector reach $50B by 2025”

DV Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals The UTnhioenUMnionnister
and Fertilizers, Government of India said for ChMeminiicsatlesrafnord
that the Indian pharmaceuticals and medical FertiliCzheresm, Dic.aVls. and
devices sector has the potential to become the world SadanFaenrdtialiGzeorws,dDa .V.
leader and government will provide all necessary along SwaidthanthaendCahief
support. Indian pharma industry likely to reach $100 MinistGeorwodf aGujarat,
billion and medical devices sector reach $50 billion by Vijay Radudpraensisainngd
2025. the Miantitshteer of
State fionrauSghuiprpatiniogn
Speaking at the three day ‘India Pharma and India aIi(Ll2FPinnIn0e.ghnadrMhd2aduti0traiCeagimlnpinuChGPaDGCMoMzgeanrdfeohoeaueeenamttdannranv2jddhhtdrsvirff0deIiiicaeee,eeimccnc2hyettrMrnaalIadh0aieaeaon2tllnliaensnmn0Cdaa2Dancc&Ini02hgpeesnead0a2auv,,dtrr0iaoakic,gatthee)
Medical Device 2020’, organized by Federation of GandhMinaargchar0, 5G,ujrat
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), on Ma2r0ch200.5, 2020.
on March 5 in Ahmedabad jointly with the Department
of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Winners of ‘5th India Pharma
Fertilizers, Government of India, Gowda said, and India Medical Device Awards’
“India today is a major hub for medical devices and
diagnostics. There has to be certain interventions by ● India Pharma Leader Award - Lupin Limited
the government as far as polices are concerned.” ● India Pharma Bulk Drug Company of the Year

Gowda said that affordability of the medicines is Award -SMS Lifesciences India Limited
one of the prime concerns of the society. “In developing ● India Pharma Innovation of the Year Award -
countries where a large section of population is poor
and out of pocket expenses are very high, affordability Laurus Labs Limited
of the medicines is one of the prime concerns of the ● India Pharma Corporate Social Responsibility
society,” he added.
(CSR) Programme of the Year Award - Sun
Gowda emphasized that government is making all Pharmaceutical Industries Limited
efforts to boost the Indian pharma and medical devices ● India Medical Device Company of the Year
sector. He said, “In countries where R&D are taken Award - Innovation Imaging Technologies Pvt
care of, where academia and industry collaborate in Ltd
order to build a strong R&D eco-system. In India, we ● India Pharma Swachhta Champion Award -
need to follow this. Government has initiated various Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals
steps for strengthening the Indian pharma and Limited

medical devices sector, he added.
Speaking on the COVID-19, Gowda said that it is

challenging times and we should all stand together at
this time. Government has and is taking all necessary
steps in this direction. “There is no shortage of
medicines. We have sufficient medicines and sufficient
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) so that for
another three months to ensure there is no shortage in
producing medicines,” he said.

Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister, government of
Gujarat while highlighting the state’s contribution to

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com EVENT REPORT 47

Key highlights of FICCI-EY report  Constructing dedicated zones or mega drug
parks
1. India has come a long way in becoming a hub
for manufacturing and supply of generic drugs and c. Creating sound and effective IP, legal
is today touted as the pharmacy of the world.
and regulatory framework:
2. The country is still at a nascent stage in terms
of its activities in commercially oriented R&D and  Establish transparent and predictable IP laws
innovation. Despite being the third largest seller and policies
of medicines in the world, India has been able
to produce only a handful of novel commercially  Facilitate knowledge transfer
viable drug molecules.  Strengthen the regulatory framework
d. Ensuring availability of financing for
3. The report examines what it will take to
replicate this success to novel products and medical research and purchase of medicine:
devices:
 Adopt healthcare financing policies to
a. Establishing top-down governance
increase availability and usage of pharmaceutical
structure: innovation

Creating a Centre of Excellence (CoE), where  Risk sharing models are needed to incentivize
stakeholders are able to provide thought leadership PE/VC funds for making investments in high-risk
and direction to innovators to create commercially life sciences R&D for long-term
viable projects
 Innovative financing models (e.g., debt-
b. Enabling access to quality
type instruments) need to be institutionalized by
infrastructure and talent: partnering with central banking organizations in
the country
 Geographical proximity between universities
supplying high skilled talent and R&D hubs of e. Streamline and fast-track regulatory
industries
approval process:
 Enhancing industry-academia collaboration
 Improving the education level of the To boost the innovation in emerging areas
workforces based on industry needs Building such biosimilars and biologics, initiatives such as
sustainable clinical trial infrastructure decreasing the number of authorities involved or
specifying a maximum time-limit for approvals and
simplifying the documentation and submission
requirement, can help facilitate growth

the national GDP said that Gujarat is one of the few Government of India, said that government will be
states in the country to provide all necessary support setting up a ‘Pharma Bureau’, which will help facilitate
to strengthen the pharma and medical devices both foreign as well as domestic investment in the
companies. He said that the state government is Pharmaceutical and Medical devices industry in India.
planning to come up with two dedicated parks, one “Pharma Bureau will act as a policy think tank to
for bulk drugs manufacturing and other for medical support the Government as well as the Industry,” he
devices. said.

“In India, pharma and medical devices sector M K Das, Principal Secretary, Industries & Mines
is growing rapidly. Gujarat has become a hub Department, Government of Gujarat highlighted the
in manufacturing sector, agriculture and social growth of Gujarat’s economy and enumerated various
sector. Now, Gujarat is ready to take the lead in policy initiatives which enabled the state to attract 51
pharmaceuticals and medical devices sector,” added per cent of the country’s Foreign Direct Investment.
Rupani.
Pankaj R Patel, Past President, FICCI & Chairman,
Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (I/C) for Zydus Cadila while highlighting the current challenges
Shipping and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of of the sector said that this is a wake-up call for the
India said that today when the world is in recession, sector. “The pharma industry in India, is today the
Indian pharma sector is growing at 10 percent and pharmacy of the world,” he added.
Indian medical devices sector is growing at 20-25 per
cent. “India has lot of opportunities and this is not only Badhri Iyengar, Chairman, FICCI Medical Device
encashed by Indian companies, but also global players Forum said that India contributes to 1.2 per cent of the
are also investing in these sectors,” he added. He global medical device market and about 6 per cent of
further added that government is working on bringing the total healthcare market globally.
new policy to strengthen the Indian API market.
FICCI-EY report ‘Reshaping India into a life
Dr P D Vaghela, Secretary, Department of sciences innovation hub’ were also released during the
Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, event. ‘5th India Pharma and India Medical Device
Awards’ were also given away during the event.

48 EVENT REPORT BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

INDIA PHARMA 2020 AND INDIA MEDICAL DEVICE 2020

Focuses on clarity on
changing regulatory scenarios
The 5th edition of India
Pharma 2020 and India bound manner. In partnership Medical Devices, the panelists
Medical Device 2020 with Invest India, the Bureau spoke about the increasing need
organized by Federation of Indian will also help facilitate both to acknowledge how innovation
Chambers of Commerce and foreign as well as domestic can deliver patient outcomes
investment in the Pharmaceutical through new technologies and
Industry (FICCI), in Ahmedabad and Medical devices industry in treatments; it can bring more
India. The bureau will also act
from March 5 in collaboration as a policy think tank to support efficient ways to organise and
with the Department of the Government as well as the
Pharmaceuticals, Ministry Industry. manage care; and how innovation
of Chemicals and Fertilizers,
Government of India has over The three-day event organized can find avenues to extend care
1,200 delegates and visitors with an objective to have an
from all over India meeting with integrative system of healthcare to the bottom of the pyramid. The
buyers to provide an exclusive and wellness for the world. panelists further spoke about the
platform for various stakeholders In addition to this objective, importance to understand how a
to present their offerings various plenary sessions were predictable pricing mechanism
through exhibition, international organized on the vision for by rationalizing trade margin for
conference, B-2-B meetings, the pharmaceutical industry;
MSME vendor development Ecosystem for R&D, Innovation medical devices from first point
program and the DPIIT & Start Ups in the Pharma
investment lounge. Sector; Regulatory meet with of sale will ensure affordability
pharmaceuticals & medical and quality care with continued
This year to give a boost to device industry; Affordability, innovation across all segments of
innovation and to showcase the accessibility and availability of population including AB-PMJAY.
growing start-up ecosystem in quality drugs & medical devices;
healthcare, FICCI organized an Emerging trends in healthcare; The joint session on Emerging
exclusive Med-Tech Innovators’ a Panel discussion on Innovate Trends in Healthcare moderator
Session to foster conversation and to Make in India for the world; by Dr Shravan Subramanyam,
collaborations between emerging amongst others. Co-Chair, FICCI Medical Device
innovators in the medical Committee and MD, India &
devices space with private In the plenary session, Neighboring Markets, Roche
equity investors and healthcare Drug Regulatory Meet with Diagnostics India, focused on
providers to support their growth. Pharmaceutical & Medical technology being the driving
Device Industry the panelists force over the past two decades
The Department of spoke about the way forward enabling remarkable innovation
Pharmaceuticals also announced on industry issues related to and transformation in nearly
the launch of Pharma Bureau regulatory practices restricting every healthcare sector. The
a body of technical experts, import/ export between countries adoption of digital services in
which will act as a single-point and also problems faced by the healthcare in India has been
interface for the pharmaceutical industry with various state drug slow, but the advent of newer
and medical devices industry regulators. The panel further technology and increasing
for issues relating to the spoke about the ways to increase
Government of India and cooperation and uniformity significance of healthcare data
various State Governments. The amongst the Indian state drug
Bureau will coordinate with regulatory system. be it processes or integration
different ministries of the Central with diagnostic decision making
Government as well as the State During the joint session on which has made digital health
Governments for providing Affordability, Accessibility and impossible to ignore.
solutions to the Industry in a time Availability of Quality Drugs &
The three-day event from
March 5 including exhibition
witnessed participation of over
200 exhibitors showcasing
their products to delegates and
business visitors from across the
country.

BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com DIGITAL INSIGHT 49

Marketing with an enticement,
not a mallet : content marketing
strategies for startups in biotech

Competing against the industry Goliaths that dominate the health and biotech industries can seem like
an impossible task for a company in its infancy. Fortunately, small businesses and startups can build a
competitive edge by combining innovation with an organized content marketing campaign. Small business
owners simply need to be aware of the key challenges they face and combat those challenges through a

strategic content marketing campaign aimed at health and biotech customers.

Source : FaceitInteractive

Identifying Key Challenges for The key is to use content marketing to humanize your
Startups in the Biotech and Health Arenas business and earn customer trust.

Breaking into the biotech or healthcare industry Give a face to your company
requires a small business owner to recognize the Let’s face it – health and biotech products are
barriers they face as a small fish in an ocean of large
sharks. Not surprisingly, many of these challenges cold, complicated, and lifeless without the people
related to difficulties earning the trust of prospective who design them and sell them. Your ‘About Us’ page
customers: is often one of the first pages customers will visit
● Establishing trust among customers who are when they arrive at your site. This is often because
customers instinctively want to feel comfortable and
unfamiliar with your brand safe with their biotech provider. Follow these steps to
● Demonstrating your commitment to product help build trust among new customers:
● Make sure your ‘About Us’ page is robust and
quality
● Figuring out how to bring energy to cold, lifeless regularly updated
● Post photos and curriculum vitae on your site
products such as pills and technology ● Spotlight a member of your team in each e-blast
● Breaking down complicated product properties
you send
into successful selling points ● Include your team photo in your catalogue

Content Marketing Strategies Example : https://www.incepbio.com/
for Health and Biotech Startups
Focus on your product quality
Fortunately for small business owners, content Your competitors may have you beat when it comes
marketing has the power to enable your business to
thrive in spite of its small size and limited resources.

50 DIGITAL INSIGHT BIOSPECTRUM | APRIL 2020 | www.biospectrumindia.com

to company size and industry experience. But that INVITE CUSTOMERS TO VISIT YOUR FACILITY
does not mean that their quality of product is superior Healthcare practitioners, purchasing agents,
to yours. In fact, the quality of product manufactured
by small companies is often superior because company distributors, and other potential buyers are often
resources are not divided among dozens of products. suspicious of healthcare products offered by an
emerging company. Strive to erase any concerns
https://www.biospectrumasia.com/ right out of the gate by extending a warm welcome
news/25/15294/eppendorf-safecode-system- to prospective customers to see your operations in
enables-a-safe-sample-vial-tracking.html action:
● Visits enable customers to witness your quality of
FEATURE CASE STUDIES OF
YOUR PRODUCTS IN ACTION product preparation firsthand
● Customers can meet your team of professionals in
Whether your company specializes in
pharmaceuticals or healthcare devices, you need to person
show prospective buyers the benefits of your products ● A visit enables customers to see supply chain
Case studies are effective because they illustrate how
your biotech products can impact the lives of medical activity and product packaging
professionals and the patients they treat. Source : http://www.worldbiotechtour.org/
● Name and location of the customer using your
home
product
● Photos of the product(s) in use at the customer’s SPOTLIGHT NEW PRODUCTS
Every product is new and exciting when your
healthcare facility
● Key benefits of your product as verbalized by the company is in the early startup phase. As your
company begins to gain traction in the market,
client you need to maintain your customers’ interest and
Ex : https://www.corning.com/worldwide/ loyalty. Introducing them to your newest product line
is a great way to maintain their interest, especially if
en/products/life-sciences/products/bioprocess.html you do the following:
● Start building anticipation before you release a
SHOWCASE YOUR INDUSTRY
CERTIFICATIONS new product by sending a “sneak peek” or preview
of the benefits
Is your company registered with the U.S. FDA, ● Give your newest product(s) a prime location on
ISO, CE or other well-known agency? If so, then your website
you know the level of effort and time required for ● Feature your newest products at the next industry
your company to earn that distinction. Fortunately, trade show
industry certifications often give prospective
customers a sense of security and comfort with your Ex : https://www.eppendorf.com/scivario/
products. List your company’s industry certifications
and approvals as advised: HIGHLIGHT YOUR AFFORDABLE PRICES
● On your company’s landing page Pricing is similar to quality when drawing
● Within your product inserts
● On technical specification sheets comparisons between small healthcare companies
and industry giants. As a small business owner of a
Ex : https://luinabio.com.au/memberships- health or biotech firm, you can usually dictate your
and-awards/ own pricing structure.

Ex : www.biomall.in

YOUR BEST The shortest, clearest path to outstanding content for your Biotech Brand is to enlist the guidance of a
PATH TO A trusted partner.
SUCCESSFUL
It sounds simple, but in practicality it’s easier said than done. The good news? You don’t have to go
CONTENT it alone. And, really, you probably shouldn’t. It’s really hard to read the label from inside the bottle. An
MARKETING objective approach helps.

CAMPAIGN Want to tap into B2B biotech marketing expertise?
Want to finally get your content marketing engine revved up in the right direction?
Email us [email protected]

Schedule a Free Content Marketing Consultation Ankit Kankar
Let’s Discuss How you can get the results you want from the [email protected]
engaging content you need
Schedule A Review : [email protected] Follow our tweets on twitter
@bsi_social and @Asiabiospectrum