Four BRICS Biomed centres to be set up in India by 2025

BRICS-Biomed Consortium, established for promoting biomedical technologies to treat diseases, will set up four centres in India by 2025. The main aim of creation of the consortium is to develop new biomedical technologies for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, development of domestic demand and export of biotech products, creation of technological base for new biotech areas of industrial sector.

“The aim of the consortium is to provide affordable and novel medicines. The BRICS Biomed Cooperation aims to augment innovation and product development in biomedical areas. The consortium is also looking at promoting traditional herbal medicine from BRICS. By 2025, BRICS Biomed Centre in India will be established in Kanyakumari, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi,” said Dr S G Prakash Vincent, chairman Associate BRICS-Biomed (India- Academic), at a seminar last week in New Delhi.

According to industry experts, biomedical technologies sector will witness an investment of $ 5 billion and $ 50 billion returns are expected between 2015 to 2021.

“Accumulation of biomedical projects from nine Federal Districts of the Russian Federation and other BRICS countries is ongoing for creation of the international database and for search for co-financing of the proposed projects,” stated Prof Shamil Akhmedov, Chairman of the BRICS-Biomed, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk NRMC, Tomshk, Russia.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is also working closely with the BRICS-Biomed Consortium. “The ICMR was working in line with the priority of the nation which was to focus on non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart diseases. ICMR with its chain of national and regional research centres looks forward to contribute towards the BRICS-Biomed Consortium effectively,” commented Harpreet Sandhu of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

According to Praveen Kumar Vemula, self-assembled biomaterials laboratory, inStem, NCBS, laboratory innovations should not only remain at lab-bench, but should be translatable into the clinic to help people. “Hence, funding should be provided to innovative projects by the biomed consortium. The funding could be for projects at the ideation stage and developmental phase. Also, formal education needs to be imparted and workshops should be held for entrepreneurs and innovators in the field about how to seek funding and IPR. Biomed should also look at transfer of technology as Indian institutes lack the technique,” he added.