A number of possible drugs, devices, and processes targeting various diseases have been developed by the different institutes under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the extramural research programmes, and have been placed for commercialisation.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi has developed hypoxia responsive promoters of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The study demonstrates the utility of M. smegmatis as a surrogate host to study hypoxia responsive promoters of M. tuberculosis. The study provides a whole cell assay to monitor M. tuberculosis promoter activity and would find use in the screening of compounds that inhibit these promoters.
Delhi University, South Campus, New Delhi has developed anti-tubercular drug targets relating to identification of the role of protein tyrosine phosphates (MptpA and MptpB) in the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. “These secretory proteins represent attractive targets for the development of new anti-tubercular drugs for short-term therapy against TB. The invention provides a method for demonstration of the role of MptpA and MptpB in the pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis. The mutant strain lacking tyrosine phosphatases associated with either MptpA or MptpB was employed to understand the role of these proteins in the survival of M. tuberculosis in murine macrophages and in the ability of the mutants to cause disease in guinea pigs,” according to official note prepared for inviting interested partners.
Entomology Research Institute, Chennai, has developed a process for isolation of fraction from Adhatoda vasica leaves for anti-mycobacterial activity with no side effects. The novel compounds vasicine acetate and 2-acetylbenzylamine showed good anti-tubercular properties against M tuberculosis and their effect is comparable with standard drugs for curing TB, the note said.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, has developed a copolymer compound -- Styrene Maleic Anhydride (SMA) --used as male contraceptive. The technology has been developed at laboratory and pilot scale. Phase I and phase II clinical trials have completed and restricted phase III clinical trial is underway. The institute also developed a process preparing the same injectable copolymer SMA.
Sri Ram Institute for Industrial Research, New Delhi, has developed 'duraphet', - fluoride containing indigenous dental varnish. It is used for caries prophylaxis, which permanently bound on the enamel surface and used in treatment of hypersensitive necks of teeth. University of Kolkata has developed an anti-neoplastic compound and process for its preparation. “The invention provides a novel anti-neoplastic compound and obtained from the skin extract of the Indian snake head fish, Channa striatus, locally known as shol fish. It also provides a process for the isolation of a novel anti-neoplastic agent useful for therapeutic application in neoplasia and as a biomedical research probe/tool,” the note said.