Scoop : Sandoz shutters India formulations R&D

Sandoz, the generics arm of Swiss drug maker Novartis AG, has decided to shutter a second research and development (R&D) centre in India in under 12 months.  This time it is the formulations or finished dosage forms R&D unit located in Kalwe, near Mumbai, that is facing closure affecting 147 employees. Novartis India confirmed the …

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India & med tech : the sub-optimal state

Public-funded institutions and government agencies are increasingly supporting India's nascent medical technology sector either as research or funding partners. Yet, what the state is so keen to help sow is it also equally willing to nurture? Not really. First, here are some instances of public funding or research partnerships of indigenous companies. -Mysore-based Skanray, a …

Guest column : 5 deficits threatening clinical research in India

Introducing a guest column by Dr S M Sapatnekar who has remained a member of the National Advisory Committee for Bioethics Education in India and is Medical Director of Mumbai-based clinical research organisation Karmic Life Sciences. Views expressed are personal. In recent months, clinical trials conducted in India have been in the news for all …

Guest column : What Pegasys says about IPR in India

On November 2, the Indian Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) revoked Hoffmann-La Roche’s patent on the hepatitis C drug Pegasys.  In particular, the IPAB found that Roche failed to demonstrate Pegasys is more efficacious than an earlier version of the drug.  Read the ruling here. The ruling brings three critical issues to the fore. The …

CDSCO’s PR: Indian drug regulator has new mission!

While looking for something else entirely, I stumbled upon information on the drug regulator CDSCO's home page that appears relatively recent.  Sort of a FAQ on the authority. In spite of cringeing at the tacky slide show that hogs most of the homepage, I was struck by some of its contents. There's a vision statement. …