The Indian Institute of Chemical technology (IICT) has been a driving force in terms of developing technologies for pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sectors and facilitating drug discovery. It has recently isolated an anti-gastric ulcer molecule from a known Indian medicinal plant. The molecule code named OA-5 showed potent anti-gastric ulcer activity against different types of ulcers such as chemical, stress induced, pylorus ligated and ethanol induced ulcers.

As of now, in vivo studies have been completed. A patent has been filed. IICT team is ready to initiate pre-clinical toxicology studies. IICT is actively looking for collaborative partners from industry to take the molecule further into clinical trials, Dr JS Yadav, director, IICT said.

During 2005-06, IICT has developed new technologies that have been either demonstrated or released to various pharmaceuticals, biotechnology or nutraceuticals companies. These technologies include development of Toxol C-13 side chain in the area of anti-cancer and a cardio vascular drug Diltiazam for SMS Pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals such as Octacosanol and Diacylglycerol, an anti-ulcer drug Misoprostol and an abortion drug Carboplast. He added, five US patents on anti-cancer have been licensed to US-based IndUS Pharmaceuticals.

The scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Department of Chemical Biology of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) have unravelled the mystery of complex processes in animal and human development using RNAi.

The understanding of the mechanism of RNAi could be helpful in modern medicine by using the power of RNAi for destroying the machinery of infectious organisms and as a therapy against broad spectrum of complex and contagious diseases.

IICT has created new facilities such as High Field NMR installed for carrying out R & D in designer molecules for drugs and other applications, costing Rs 5 crore. A Pre-Biotechnology Process Generator facility has been set up with financial support from DBT at a cost of Rs 2.1 crore. The facility will be used for carrying out development of bench scale processes of biotechnology and biotransformation on lab scale by biotech companies. It has also facilitated setting up of a genetic chemistry R&D facility in collaboration with Switzerland-based Evolva, focusing on diabetes and metabolic disorders, Dr Yadav informed.

As part of the Institute's major initiatives, it is establishing a 'National Facility for Combinatorial Natural Products' with the financial assistance from Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The facility is to be established with an initial investment of Rs 25 crore and is expected to be operational by next two years.

The proposed facility will work on natural products chemistry and combinatorial chemistry. The basic objective of the proposed facility is to systematically scan the vast plant resources available in India and identify the biologically active molecules from them to generate libraries of compounds for biological screening. The libraries will be screened for different activities.

IICT is planning to establish strategic partnerships for developing herbal drugs and new bio-active molecules. The Institute is developing competencies primarily in the areas of Asthma, HIV, TB, and Malaria.

The facility will have state-of-the-art equipments required for drug development. It has been also proposed to set up a molecular bank that will have a depository of compounds with automatic storage and retrieval facilities using the advanced robotic technologies.

It is also proposed to have modern biological screening facilities such as high throughput screening. The drug development centres of industry will be benefited by the national facility as the centres will get the biologically active compounds isolated from the Indian medicinal plants under one roof for further exploitation, Dr Yadav added.

IICT will be responsible for knowledge support and manpower, DST will fund up to Rs 16 crore while CSIR will fund up to Rs 8 crore towards the establishment of the facility. The team is aiming at developing about four 'Investigative New Drugs' (INDs) by the end of 2010.