The Hindu Business Line : Animal resource facility to be set up in Hyderabad

INDIAN pharmaceutical and biotech companies, compelled to go abroad to conduct costly animal experiments for vaccine and drug development, can look forward to get them done within the country at lower costs in the near future.

This optimism stems from two developments - the setting up of a Primate Research Centre at Mumbai on a 25 acre land by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with an investment of Rs 75 crore and the proposed Rs 200-crore National Animal Resource Facility (NARF) in Hyderabad.

NARF would be an ICMR initiative but predominantly supported by drug companies and research institutes. The Andhra Pradesh Government had already allocated 100 acres of land for the purpose at the Biotech Park in the Genome Valley, about 40 kms from here, Prof N.K. Ganguly, Director-General, ICMR said here today.

An important meeting to firm up plans for the NARF was held at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), an ICMR institute, here today. The Preliminary Project Report for the joint venture was discussed and a Consultant would be hired to prepare a detailed project report, Dr Ganguly told newspersons.

Plans are to approach the Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for the seed capital support of about Rs 30 crore. Additional finances are to be raised from user industries and if necessary through loans from World Bank or Nationalised Banks.

NARF would be of international standards, with animal testing facilities, equipment, a strong technical board and ethical committee, which are a must for developing quality vaccines or drugs like the Anti-retrovirals (ARVs). These measures should also address some of the opposition in the past from animal rights activists on the use of animals for scientific experiments, Dr Ganguly said.

To be completed in about 2-3 years, the facility to have primates, horse breeding, cats, beagle dogs and several laboratories would be run on corporate lines and corporates would provide funding.

India has emerged as a big centre for the production of vaccines and drugs, but the challenge would be to ensure high quality as well as make them affordable to the people, for this the NARF would be an asset, the ICMR Chief said.

The Primate Research facility project in Mumbai has so far seen a grant of $3 million (around Rs 13.6 crore) from the US and Rs 18 crore from the ICMR and is expected to be ready in two years, he said.

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