The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, is India's only centre of excellence in pharmaceutical research and education. Created by an Act of Parliament more than a decade ago, NIPER aims at training the future teachers, researchers and managers for the pharmaceutical industry and profession. The major objectives of the centre include creation of national centres, collaboration with industries, curriculum and media development. The changing pharmaceutical map of India with Himachal Pradesh emerging as one of the biggest pharma hubs has enhanced the opportunities at NIPER. Being the only pharma institute positioned next door to the emerging destination of pharmaceutical industry, the institute has a lot to offer.
In an exclusive interview with Joe C Mathew of Pharmabiz.com, Prof P Rama Rao, director, NIPER, speaks on the future plans of the institute. Prof Rao has more than 25 years of service in pharmaceutical profession and was a reader with Banaras Hindu University before he joined NIPER. He has 70 scientific publications and 5 patents to his credit. Excerpts:
As an institute that has been serving the drug industry during the days of process patents, is there any need to redraw the objectives of NIPER due the country's switchover to the product patent regime?
The changes in the Patent Laws, which necessitates more focus on new drug discovery and world-class drug R&D programmes, have posed more challenges and opportunities to NIPER than to any other institution representing pharmaceutical sciences. The institute's very mandate is to tone up the level of pharmaceutical education and research to international level by training the future teachers, research scientists, and managers for the industry and profession. All these years, we had been preparing ourselves for the job of this magnitude. We have all facilities in place to promote world-class research, train world-class scientists, regulatory officials and managers for the drug sector. The collaboration with both foreign and Indian research/teaching institutes, continuing education programmes for regulatory officials, analysts, manufacturing chemists, curriculum and media development are all on track. NIPER is certain to have a central role to play in the coming days.
How prepared is NIPER to groom next generation pharma professionals?
NIPER is the first institute of its kind in the country that is fully dedicated to nurture and promote quality and excellence in pharmaceutical education and research. The institute offers unique courses leading to Masters, Doctoral degrees and Post Doctoral programmes. All batches of our students are absorbed by the industry/academia the moment they complete their courses. Of the hundreds of GATE qualified applicants, only 90 highly meritorious students are getting through our entrance exams. They are the most sought after candidates of the day. This itself is proof of the kind of training we impart to our students. The institute has a state-of-the-art computer centre, library and information centre. The central animal facility, national bioavailability centre, pharmacological and toxicological screening facilities, computer aided drug design laboratory, peptide synthesis and research laboratory, combichem research laboratory are all the best of its kind. On the top of it, we have the best faculty available.
Do you think there is scope for mini NIPERs in the country?
Certainly. There has to be NIPER like institutions in all parts of the country. With the kind of response we are getting, there should be more centres that can groom world-class scientists in pharmaceutical field. But the development of a centre is not that easy. It took more than a decade for NIPER to be in a take off position. Even today, we are finding it difficult to get good teachers. Unless you have a highly competent faculty, all the investments in infrastructure development may not produce meaningful results. Therefore, there should be more NIPERs that can maintain the standards and deliver goods.
How are the new pharmaceutical units that are coming up in the neighbouring areas of NIPER (in Himachal and Uttaranchal) going to benefit out of NIPER? Do you have any special plans to make maximum use of this opportunity?
The institution is already having a good number of collaborations with the industry. With more number of companies coming next door, they can make use of our world-class facilities to carry out research programmes. NIPER can provide incubator facilities for the companies. We can lease out our facilities and expertise through mutually beneficial agreements. We have Technology Development Centre in which pilot plant and 13 reactors for bulk drugs are installed. We can provide all these facilities to the industry. We also conduct regularly continuing education programmes for the industry. The pharmaceutical units can upgrade the skills of their employees by allowing them to take part in such programmes.
Is the industry enthused to be part of collaborative research programmes?
The response from pharma industry for joint R&D programmes is encouraging. However, there is a scope for increasing Academia-industry interactions. Theoretically speaking, the big drug companies approach us only when their resource capabilities get exhausted. The smaller ones are realising the importance of R&D and are coming forward to invest in research. Everyone wants to spend money in the terminal point of research, not in early part of drug discovery. This trend needs to change. We feel that it is high time that we embarked on aggressive marketing to attract more companies towards using our facilities.
While your institute is known to be a comprehensive source of advanced learning in pharmaceutical sciences, there are several others coming up in specialised areas like clinical research. Do you consider this as a healthy trend?
It's true that there are several institutes offering short-term courses in clinical research management. I feel that quality training can be imparted only if they cover all aspects of pharmaceutical sciences and not one single topic. For example, our pharmacy practice students have proved to meet the requirements of employees in several clinical research organisations. Even though they didn't have a course entirely dedicated to clinical research, the hands on training they received from medical institutions have helped them acquire those abilities. Versatility of the course is what is required. Highly specialised training in one area may not be advisable.
What is the latest addition to the facilities of NIPER?
NIPER is in the process of setting up of a world-class facility for regulatory toxicology testing under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) environment. The facility is to comply with OECD guidelines and is expected to be ready by May 2005. This facility is to help, train people in this area that's becoming very crucial in the development of drugs.