Sudhakar Singh, Editor | Saturday, 25 February 2023
Government is speaking with stakeholders to discover ambitious projects and define the role of industry in executing its recent budget proposal, which is intended to advance research and innovation in pharmaceutical industry. It is going to be implemented through centers of excellence. The government is going to select seven CoEs for now that will be responsible for research and development of innovative solutions in moonshot areas.
“Budget allocation towards research in pharma and health is a step in the right direction which would further make India atmanirbhar,” says Ankur Nijhawan, CEO, AXA France Vie India Reinsurance Branch. India’s pharma industry is well-poised to take its competence to the next level as it has already proven its capability through several innovations. Through the use of synthetic organic chemistry and reverse engineering, Indian pharmaceutical companies have been able to create many inexpensive generic medicines with remarkable efficiency. In recent years, the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry in India has experienced dramatic growth.
The Indian pharmaceutical sector has made a considerable contribution to enhance global health benefits, and the medical devices market is on track to continue its upward trend. In this article, we will discuss the most important areas for potential moonshot projects for the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Each of these areas has a great potential for growth and can help bring about revolutionary changes in healthcare delivery across India.
Drug Discovery and Pre-Clinical Research
Development of novel therapeutic molecules requires time allocating for testing and research to identify active therapeutic targets. Pharmaceutical companies of India can pave the way for the research institutions in this field by having the latest technologies and techniques such as high throughput screening, polypharmacology, and chemical biology. As the number of innovative drugs developed is rising, then the effectiveness of drug discovery processes has now reached a higher level.In this regard, India shall be one of the most cogent countries in pharmaceutical discovery and pre-clinical research to fulfill this demand. Indian researchers have successfully made significant progress in drug discovery and pre-clinical research with the help of advanced technology like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and big data analytics. These technologies will be instrumental in identifying possible therapies even more rapidly than before, hence positively influencing patient outcomes. Furthermore, India being provided with additional information resources and collaborations with other countries can position it as a central hub for drug discovery activities and pre-clinical research. It is the duty of Indian government to proactively assist drug discovery and pre-clinical research projects by providing funds to research institutes, universities, and startups that are working on drug discovery and pre-clinical research. Furthermore, the government will manage to promote public-private partnerships to work in parallel with these ventures.
Drug Delivery and Targeting
Active form and right quantity in the right amount are two things that make drug efficacy. Using and Targeting is a vital part of the pharma market in India. The concept is utilizing the sophisticated technology which directs the drugs to the specific target in a most safe and effective way. Delivery of the drug and targeting technologies, like nano-formulation, self-assembling polymers, and nanoliposomes, can allow the drug molecules to be delivered in a safe way and specifically to the target, while minimizing the side-effects.This method can aid to cut down the drug manufacturing expense and drug transport, and also raise patient happiness. The use of drug delivery and targeting technologies in India helps in making the drugs more effective, reducing side effects and ensuring that the drug reaches its target with little wastage. This also reduces the expenses but still patients have the right of the best health care. Apart from these uses, these technologies can also be used to monitor the patient's responses in real-time which is necessary for the better treatment strategies. India's drug delivery and targeting projects will involve the creation of nanomedicines, targeted drug-delivery systems, etc. Such technologies will be used for the purpose of minimizing drug adverse reactions and also to allow the delivery of drugs effectively to the target sites. These projects will bring drug delivery closer to more specific, economical, and efficient methods.
Biologics and Biosimilars
Biosimilars production faces a complexity of searching and testing methods, of high complexity, to satisfy the preset standards of the original drugs’ structure and function. Development of safe and effective biosimilars can be very useful in terms of cost of drug treatment. Biologics and biosimilars have become a critical part in health care of India. Advancement in biologics and biosimilars drugs has resulted in decline in cost of care for various medical conditions like cancer, diabetes and autoimmune diseases. With this idea, these drugs have become a crucial part of India's pharmaceutical sector.India is currently using advanced technology to develop biologics and biosimilars which are used to treat a number of medical conditions and diseases The Indian government will have to set a high pace for research and development investments in projects involving both biologics and biosimilars. Many projects in the future will require government intervention and collaboration with the private sector with specific emphasis on the development of new drugs for various diseases and the enhancement of the existing ones. Such programs will be able to provide a condition for the drugs to be made available at the most affordable prices for all patients. Through these initiatives, India will be considered a dominant player in the worldwide market of biologics and biosimilars. It will be fascinating as these projects start to take off in the forthcoming times.
