Biocon Limited has invested Rs 200 crore on an advanced integrated research and development centre within the Biocon Park, the Biocon Research Center (BRC).
The company will now conduct in-house drug research work focusing on chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer and auto-immune at the centre. The Bangalore-based company is also planning to hire another 300 scientists to deliver its affordable innovation solutions.
“Our objective is to pursue world class research on biologics to address the unmet medical needs,” said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director, Biocon Limited.
The centre, spread over 200,000 sq ft, houses a molecular lab, biologics process science labs, formulations development lab, molecular characterisation lab, functional bioassay lab and pre-clinical and clinical development, which the company claims is the first such facility in south India.
The lab is also equipped with high-end instrumentation for molecular and functional characterisation of biologics, she added.
The centre for research excellence will pursue an innovation-led effort to develop advanced, yet affordable solutions for many a debilitating disease, said Shaw. It would offer an eco-system for conducting “path-breaking” research in biopharmaceuticals. An independent quality group at BRC will ensure compliance to Good Laboratory Practices and international regulatory guidelines to develop “best in class” biologics and biosimilars.
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The company is now growing into a biopharmaceutical major focused on innovation to develop affordable products and service for patients. “Our strategic research and marketing partnerships will help deliver high value and licensable R&D assets. The present strength of the BRC is 300 scientists. though the facility can house 600 researchers. Hence, hiring is on, on a massive scale, she said.
According to Abhijit Barve, president, R&D, Biocon, the facility will allow a cross pollination of ideas across groups to help breed a culture of innovation. BRC will attract scientists from top research institutes and the leaders will participate in technical programmes as an effective way to enable innovation through knowledge-sharing.
BRC also has a dedicated research wing in honour of scientist C N R Rao, FRS, National Research Professor; Linus Pauling Research Professor; honorary president, JNCASR; chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.
The facility was inaugurated by Nobel Laureate Kurt Wuthrich who got the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002.