17 MoUs signed between NIPERs & pharma industry for academia-industry linkages to build innovation ecosystem in India

As part of the initiative to build innovation ecosystem in India, a total of 17 MoUs have been signed between seven National Institutes for Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs.and pharma industry for academia-industry linkages.

Academia-industry linkage is a significant development as one of the critical factors in building innovation ecosystem and for drug discovery. Department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) for the last one year has actively engaged both the NIPERs and the pharma industry to build partnership in areas of education, research and development.

The result is that seven NIPERs have undertaken academia-industry linkage with 17 pharma industries of private and public sector. These seven NIPERs exchanged MoUs with industry heads in the presence of President of India Pranab Mukherjee on November 4, 2015 as a part of visitors conference being held from November 4-6, 2015.

During the event, a total of 45 MoUs were exchanged between central institutions viz., IITs, NIPERs.IISERs,IIITs, IISc-B, NIFT, NITs, RGIPT, RGNIYD& SPAs. Of the 45, 17 are under pharmaceuticals sector. Thus the initiative of DoP stands out.

India enjoys global leadership in pharmaceutical sector in generic medicines. DoP celebrates the achievements of both public and private pharma industry for their contribution in India’s self-reliance on medicines. Globally India ranks 3rd largest in volume and 10th in value. Every third tablet consumed globally is made in India. Exports are being made to more than 200 countries with a major share in regulated markets. Much of the credit goes to policy initiative in terms of Patent Act, 1970 which allowed process patents, enabling in transforming India from medicine importing country to exporting country and private and public skill and entrepreneurship of pharma industry.

Pharma sector is a knowledge intensive science and technology based industry. Indian domestic pharma market is around Rs.1 lakh crores and its analysis suggests that patent medicines constitute less than 1 per cent share illustrating poor accessibility/ availability of latest innovative medicines in the face of growing non-communicable diseases like cancer because of affordability. This issue reiterates the urgency for India to have paradigm shift in its strategy to expand its leadership in drug discovery and innovation after post-WTO, TRIPS regime. India’s leadership in drugs discovery will not only make medicines affordable and will surely pave a way for India becoming a prosperous nation addressing the poverty as well. High risk and high investment are the hallmarks of drugs discovery.

High quality manpower is one of the critical requirements for its success. It is under these circumstances that the government of India has set up NIPERs to nurture and produce high quality manpower for making India a global leader in drugs discovery. NIPERs are institutions of national importance set up under NIPER Act, 1998 on the lines of IITs. Presently, there are 7 NIPERs functional at Mohali, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli. One more NIPER at Madurai is in process of setting up. During 2015-16, three new NIPERs were announced for Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Further in India, the research and development in pharmaceuticals sector is spread across a number of ministries and departments viz., department of biotechnology, department of science and technology, department of scientific and industrial research, health systems research (ICMR) and department of pharmaceuticals. It is under these circumstances that the department of pharmaceuticals is drawing up a common roadmap for drug discovery through convergence and synergy involving all stakeholders.

DoP has identified that academia-industry linkage as a basic requirement for translating research into development (commercialization) and innovation; and also to fix accountability among the educational institutions. The initiative will be a historic event in the annals of DoP in its endeavour of making India a global leader in drugs discovery.

MoU details are provided below:

With Central Public Sector Enterprises