- Centre considering patenting
Indian medicine
http://indiamonitor.com/news/readNews.jsp?ni=7396
Monday May 30, 2005,CHENNAI
The Union Department of Science and Technology will look at patenting,
standardising procedures and quality control for alternative (Indian)
medicine, Secretary of the Department, V.S. Ramamoorthy, has said.
"Alternative systems of medicine is definitely in the view
of the DST, but we recognise that it is a mandate of the AYUSH [Department
of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy],
a wing of the Central Government," Mr. Ramamoorthy said. He
was addressing a national workshop on the standardisation of traditional
Indian medicine for global acceptability as per WHO guidelines.
Mr. Ramamoorthy said 40 years ago, traditional practitioners were
seen as quacks. In the last two decades, the system had gained recognition.
For some time, it was seen as the poor man's alternative and hence
called alternative medicine.
- Pharma sector
to be worth $48 bn by 2007
New Delhi May 23, 2005
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyflag=y&leftnm=lmnu1&leftindx=
1&lselect=6&chklogin=N&autono=189598
The Indian pharmaceutical sector can be worth $48 billion by the
year 2007 from the present $6 billion, according to a study by the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The CII study predicts that India could become a global leader by
exporting domestically produced generic products and presenting
itself as an offshoring location for clinical and pre-clinical research
amongst other support services.
The study projects that it will be imperative for Indian companies
to leverage emerging opportunities and meet key challenges to achieve
this target.
However, it depends on the ability to withstand shocks and consistently
deliver profitable growth. It will also be important to focus on
operational excellence, the study observes. If India were to evolve
on the global landscape, it will largely be through consolidating
and creating large global generic players.
This argument gains ground if one were to look at the international
scenario where top 10 generic players already constitute 27 per
cent of the global market.
The study lays special stress on R&D especially for chronic
diseases, lifestyle drugs and life threatening diseases. In India,
the spending on life threatening ailments especially is abysmally
low, and that has to increase.
Greater incentives in this aspect need to be provided through higher
EXIM Bank allocations, public-private partnerships and an increased
budgetary allocation for research,the study suggests while special
zones, registration of global sourcing units for extended tax holidays
and facility of soft loans will give a leg up to contract manufacturing
facilities.
For clinical trials, there is a need to improve the regulatory approval
process and increase public awareness and transparency.
The study has also focused on the need for creating ethics committees
for private hospitals and thereafter ensuring compliance.
The global industry is currently worth $550 billion, while the Indian
pharmaceutical industry is pegged at $6 billion , growing at 10
per cent per annum.
India’s share in the global generics market is likely to be
significant on patent expiry and is expected to grow from the current
4 per cent to around 33 per cent.
- India on
global drug supply chain map
New Delhi, May 24:
India is emerging as an integral part of the global supply chain
for pharmaceuticals, says a report prepared by Ernst & Young.
“Any discussion on the global pharmaceutical supply chain can
now no longer ignore India’s relevance. India is becoming an
integral part of the pharmaceutical value chain,” said E&Y’s
third annual report on Global Trends in the Pharmaceutical Marketplace.
“Large global pharmaceutical companies will continue to increase
their sourcing of active pharma ingredients, offshoring of clinical
trial and development and partnering with domestic companies for
new product development and marketing in India. Over the long term,
India is bound to have a larger impact on the tax and tariff structure
of the pharma industry, the regulatory and IT environment beyond
the obvious impact on its innovation and manufacturing,” said
Utkarsh Palnitkar, health sciences industry practice leader at Ernst
& Young India.
The report said Indian drug firms would hold a competitive advantage
in the new product patent regime and collaborations between local
and global partners would offer Indian companies an opportunity
to tap global research networks and gain access to new technologies,
while providing a platform to global drug majors to leverage the
scientific talent available in India.
“The partnering theme in Indian pharma industry is reaching
a new crescendo. Illustrating this trend are some landmark deals
— Glenmark with Forest Labs of the US and more recently with
Teijin Pharma of Japan; the R&D tie-up between Torrent and AstraZeneca’s;
the contract research deal between Novartis and Syngene, and Nicholas
Piramal’s flurry of in-licensing deals with several global
biotech majors,” said Palnitkar.
 India
ideal for British collaboration in medicine & technology: Peter
Luff,
Assistant Chief Whip of the opposition Conservative party
May 23, 2005
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/2836.asp
Britain’s opposition Conservative party is bullish on India
and favors India’s immediate inclusion in the UN Security Council.
According to media sources from Britain, Britain should collaborate
with India to explore the "huge opportunity" offered by
its expertice in medicine, science and technology as also ensure
smooth transfer of Indian professionals, a leading lawmaker here
has said, while flaying entry restrictions and heavy cost of visas
for Indian students.
- Ernst &
Young says Indian pharmaceutical industry holds a competitive advantage
May 25, 2005
India’s Pharmaceutical sector is on the move. It is holding
a solid competitive advantage according a leading think tanks and
global consulting firm.
Global consultants Ernst & Young today said the Indian pharmaceutical
industry would hold a competitive advantage in the new product patent
regime and no global pharmaceutical supply chain can ignore its
relevance.
"India is becoming an integral part of the pharma value chain,
as large global pharma companies continue to increase their sourcing
of APIs, offshoring of clinical development and partnering with
domestic companies for new product development and marketing, in
India," according to `Progressions 2005'', E&Y's third
annual report on global trends in the pharma sector.
Beyond the country's impact on innovation and manufacturing of the
pharma sector, India will have a larger impact on global pharma's
tax, regulatory and IT environment, it said.
E&Y said that collaborations will provide an opportunity to
the Indian companies to tap into the world's global research networks
and to gain access to new technologies while providing a platform
for big global pharma companies to leverage the scientific talent
available in India.
Creation of a business and regulatory environment conducive for
innovation and research will lead to significant investments in
the country, it said.
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