The Institute of life Sciences (ILS) with research facilities spread over 120,000 sq ft (phase I) is nearing completion on a 20-acre site within the campus of University of Hyderabad. Scientific activity at ILS will begin during July, 2006. ILS will carry out both internal and industry sponsored research. The University will give additional 10 acres in due course of time for ILS. Dr Reddy's has funded Rs 10 crore for this initiative. ILS will be capable of advancing science with a purpose, Dr A Venkateswarlu, director of ILS, said.
The Phase I of ILS will have four modules including a research directorate, support facilities. The facilities will be operational during the second quarter of 2006-07. ILS will be developed on lines of Weizmann Institute of Sciences, Israel and the Scripps Research Institute, Sandiago, USA.
ILS is planning to appoint soon thought leaders in life sciences as principal investigators and also principal and senior scientists. ILS has organized a meeting on March 25, 2006 at Hyderabad where 35 young scientists from across the country met and discussed major challenges in promoting modern life science research.
The institute is being developed on a public-private partnership route. The mission of ILS is to improve human health through the application of integrated disciplines of life sciences. ILS has been accorded recognition as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. This recognition enables obtaining competitive research grants and importing equipment and consumables at concessional duties.
ILS has initiated talks with Indian and overseas pharmaceutical companies for collaborations, including companies like Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Ranbaxy and Sun Pharma.
An Intellectual Property management unit will be established at ILS, which will ensure that IPs of various industries collaborating with the Institute are protected. Each employee joining ILS will be signing a confidentiality agreement. When CROs can work for many pharmaceutical companies conforming confidentiality norms, why not ILS collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotech companies protecting their IP, he pointed.
The Institute of Life Sciences was formed in 2004, as a not-for-profit-company. The Board of Directors at ILS constitutes- Dr K Anji Reddy, chairman, Dr Reddy's Laboratories as the chairman of the Board; prof Ilan Chet, president, Weizman Institute of science, Israel; Prof D Balasubramanian, director of Research, LV Prasad Eye Institute; vice-chancellor, University of Hyderabad; secretary, Industries, Government of Andhra Pradesh; GV Prasad, vice-chairman and CEO, Dr Reddy's Laboratories; and Dr A Venkateswarlu, director of ILS.