Avesthagen Limited, a leading integrated systems biology platform company, focuses on convergence of food, pharma and population genetics, which leads to predictive preventive and personalised healthcare. The key initiatives encompass agri-biotechnologies product pipeline to clinically validated botanical bioactives derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a range of bio-similar drugs. The company has four strategic business units:biopharmaceuticals, bionutrition, bioagriculture and science and innovation. Its partners include multiple top ten global companies.
It also collaborates at every stage in the value chain to access and exchange technology to leverage the India advantage.
Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, founder, chairperson and managing director, Avesthagen Ltd, provides an overview of the future efforts in an interview with Nandita Vijay. Excerpts:
Avesthagen tries to integrate various streams such as therapeutics, nutrition and agriculture through biotech platform. However, the company looks giving an added emphasis on heath care - both in curative as well as preventive. What's your comment?
Avesthagen's efforts are on healthcare during the entire life-cycle of a human being. One must look at Avesthagen as an integrated biotechnology life science company providing total healthcare from birth to old age. Avesthagen is an opera of synchronised music of science and innovation for complete healthcare.
The bioagriculture focus of the company looks at the age group of first 20, where we need to eat right and have food availability. The bionutrition focus of the company focuses on the next 40 years where healthcare issues are linked to lifestyle disorders and there Avesthagen's predictive-preventive approach plays out. The biopharma focus of the company focuses on the age group of 60-100 years where healthcare is linked to actual onset of disease through our theranostic approach. Avesthagen is taking care of the complete cycle of life through integration of food and pharma through "bringing science to life."
What are Avesthagen's ongoing initiatives in the bio- therapeutics segment? How do you think it differs from the conventional models?
The current focus is two-pronged and that is where it differs from the other models. The first is biosimilars with a global strategy and the second is Avestagenome for discovery of new biomarkers and new drugs.
One of the themes of your company is to add value through innovation. In this connection, could you tell us how conducive is the Indian intellectual property (IP) climate for innovation?
The Indian IP climate is reasonably good and forged ahead and we have even got various financial institutions to understand patents and look at financing against patent security. We did a first there and this allowed Avesthagen to grow and drive its valuation. However, it is difficult for most people to raise venture capital funds for innovation. We need to change this.
What is your take on India's emerging image as a technology powerhouse?
India will emerge as a technology powerhouse if we have leaders who do not kneel over to global machinations and have the capability to stand and fight for the national interests. We need more entrepreneurs and true leaders, who will make sure that the goals of true innovation reach the common man.
According to you, what are the areas where India can excel in the biotech services sector?
India can excel in several sectors and services. We are good at this, because most of us like to follow and execute what someone has laid down for us. But the time has arrived to move away from the services model as it keeps us subjugated and does not allow India we would like to see emerge. We need to have a thinking mind and evolve products that do not have to follow the classic global model (which has failed anyway as you can see from the recent collapse of the banks). We need our own model.
Could you elaborate on your recent partnership with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on developing bio-actives?
We need to work with ICMR to develop new laws to regulate the bioactive space which could be an interesting space. Avesthagen is dedicated to bring our cost-effective preventive healthcare for the world at large. This is an important partnership and I am willing to personally spend time to build this alliance.
You've been honoured with several awards and recognitions. Most recently the Parsi Entrepreneur Par Excellence Award. How do feel about the value of a strong entrepreneurship in the success of any organisation?
Strong leadership is extremely important. A true entrepreneur must never shake from the missionary zeal and keep the big picture clearly in front of her and drive to succeed day after day. An entrepreneur also builds emotional threads with her staff and holds them together in an emotional bond of a common mission. I am deeply grateful for all the awards I have received. "I have miles to go before I sleep."
Where do you want to see Avesthagen in global life sciences industry in the next five years?
I would like to see Avesthagen to be among the top 25 companies in the world.