The Hindu Business Line : `Develop low-cost drugs for Third World diseases'

(FROM LEFT) The Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy; the Union Minister for Science and Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal; and the Biocon Chairman, Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, at the inauguration of Bangalore Bio 2006 in Bangalore on Wednesday. - G.R.N. Somashekar

Bangalore , June 7

India is gaining a larger role in the world of medicine as the cost of new drug development is almost doubling to $2 billion, according to the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal.

At the opening of the three-day biotechnology show, Bangalore Bio 2006, here on Wednesday, Mr Sibal said the West has been investing billions of dollars in public and private drug programmes, but MNC drugs continue to neglect serious diseases of the poor. He urged Indian pharma and biotechnology companies to find low-cost and effective drugs for third-world malaises such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and infectious diseases.

Intellectual wealth

India, with its low-cost manufacturing, quality research support and a vast talent pool, he said, is a natural ally of drug companies across the world. At the same time, "We need to partner with the world to create intellectual wealth of our own" as IP is the core of developed economies, Mr Sibal stressed.

The agricultural sector also needs biotechnology as the per-capita, per-acre foodgrain output is declining. It is inevitable that "We have to move from the green revolution to gene revolution," Mr Sibal said.

This year, 3.5 million acres of biotech cotton for Monsanto and others had been allowed and would be followed with mustard, potato, brinjal and other crops.

Clinical data

Ms Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD of Biocon Ltd and Chairperson of the Karnataka Government's biotech think-tank, said clinical data emerging from India was gaining increased acceptance with European and US-based drug majors. In order to cash in on the opportunities in outsourced manufacturing and drug development, the biotech industry should raise the bar on all fronts, from research infrastructure to human resources. "We should leverage our cost arbitrage to deliver value arbitrage," Ms Mazumdar said.

Present at the event were British High Commissioner, Sir Michael Arthur; the ambassadors of France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the European Commission Delegation's Minister counsellor, Dr Andrew Sors.

In the world biotech market worth $100 billion, India's share of a mere one per cent or around $1 billion could be improved, the Chief Minister, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy, said.