Ranbaxy, govt tie up for drugs discovery research

Pharma major Ranbaxy Laboratories has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in the area of New Drug Discovery Research (NDDR).

Under the scheme "Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research Programme" (DPRP) that provides loans to in-house R&D laboratories and Scientific and Industrial Research Organisations (SIROs), DST, a government of India department, would provide financial support by way of soft loans to Ranbaxy to undertake NDDR activity.

"This public-private partnership will enable research oriented companies like Ranbaxy to explore and develop innovative medicines at affordable costs and thereby combat diseases more effectively," Ranbaxy Vice President NDDR Pradip Bhatnagar said in a statement on the BSE.

Two NDDR programmes in the therapeutic areas of anti-infective and inflammation, have been identified under the agreement with the Ranbaxy and the funding by DST would enable it to conduct the pre-clinical toxicity studies or safety studies.

Ranbaxy hopes the studies in these areas would facilitate its molecule's progression to the market.

Introduced as early as 1994-95, the DPRP promotes inter-alia collaborative R&D in the drugs and pharmaceuticals sector.