Ranbaxy eyes partners for malaria drug R&D

A year after Geneva-based Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) walked out of its joint malarial drug research programme with India's leading drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories, the latter has decided to rope in fresh international collaborators for the project.

"The company is in discussions with organisations interested in providing access to drugs for malaria and funding projects," a Ranbaxy official confirmed. The specifics of the talks are not known.

In addition to MMV, global public health funding agencies such the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), the Bill Gates Foundation and various developed countries are interested in aiding research programmes in malaria.

For instance, DNDi had recently announced a research tie-up with Tata group-promoted drug discovery firm Advinus for discovery and development of novel therapies for infectious diseases.

Similarly, the European Union has earmarked over Rs 125 crore for malaria research, to be funded under its framework programme for infectious disease research.

The external funds, once sanctioned, would insulate Ranbaxy from the financial risks involved in the project.

Soon after the exit of MMV, Ranbaxy had roped in the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to part-fund the second phase of the clinical trials for its anti-malarial combination medicine (Arterolane + Piperaquine).

Of the estimated cost of Rs 22 crore for conducting the clinical trials, DST had pledged Rs 11 crore. It has already released the first installment of Rs 5.5 crore and is readying the next disbursement.

Both Ranbaxy and DST sources expressed hope on the future of the malaria drug.

"We have joined Ranbaxy in the clinical trials after early trials on the drug were successful. What we need to know now is the effectiveness of a combination of two medicines - both of which have independently proven its efficacy," said a DST official.

The Ranbaxy spokesperson said, "The company has the rights to develop and commercialise the molecule and is backing its further development, as it strongly believes in the therapeutic efficacy of this synthetic drug for malaria."

"Considering the development status of other anti-malarial New Chemical Entities (NCEs) in the pipeline, it is likely that ours will be the first synthetic rapid-acting anti-malarial NCE in the coming years. Ranbaxy strongly believes in the potential of this synthetic new compound for effective treatment of malaria. The goal is to bring this drug to market speedily, at prices affordable to the masses and treatment access programmes, in developing countries," he said.

MMV had announced its decision to stop funding the project and transfer the rights for development and marketing of the medicine to Ranbaxy after a review on the progress of the clinical trials in November 2006. MMV's annual report for 2006 states that the decision was taken after 'the review of the preliminary data and other portfolio priorities'.

Though MMV has stopped funding Ranbaxy, it continues to invest in over 20 projects in its portfolio, which it considers are likely to give better results. MMV also has plans to add seven more projects during the year.