The Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE), a national forum that represents the Indian biotechnology sector, the DUKE University and The Open Source Health Laboratories (OSHL) recently organised a workshop on meeting the challenges of developing new anticancer therapies in New Delhi that attracted interest and participation from public agencies and private companies.

The workshop was led by internationally renowned cancer researcher, Dr H Kim Lyerly of Duke University who discussed methods of developing new anti-cancer therapies in India and the US for worldwide distribution. Strategic planning, clinical trial initiatives, translational research, and regulatory elements of the drug development process were discussed.

Attendees were provided with a broad overview of the annual US FDA workshop whose goal is to expedite the development and validation for new anti-cancer and cancer prevention agents.

Dr Lyerly commented that, Indian pharma and biotech companies and public institutions have researchers and facilities that are capable of researching and developing new anti-cancer drugs. The traditional Indian medicine systems too have several remedies but in order for them to be validated for global use they too need to go through the same procedure as any other chemical or biotech drug. The workshop will surely help in improving the drug development processes of anti-cancer drugs in India.

Dr Vijay Chandru, CEO of Strand Life Sciences and EC member (ABLE) observed “We are grateful to Dr Lyerly for having come all the way  to offer his expert advice on these topics. Drug Development is one of the most expensive aspects of getting drugs to the market. The prowess of researchers and regulators in India in this highly regulated space depends on timely knowledge of global standards and benchmarks and how to approach them. The BioPharma sector in India is active in oncology therapeutics with global market aspirations and welcomes such interactions with thought leaders in development.”

Charles Maynard, ED of OSHL said, “This workshop is one example of the types of international collaborations that OHSL seeks to initiate, nurture and develop. The speed with which global collaborative medical research is being launched continues to be enigmatic and therefore it is necessary for organizations such as OHSL to exist. From our vantage point, we can leverage a great deal of resources to facilitate the successful stewardship of these medical research projects. We have done it and therefore we understand what it takes! We look forward to a mutually beneficial and rewarding relationship with the various medical research communities and organizations in Asia such as ABLE as we do in other parts of the world.”

OHSL focussed on building global team science consortia by leveraging the best biomedical informatics, information and communication technology to address the key questions of medical science and to provide a quicker and better global public health response.

Duke University's mission is to provide a superior education to its students, attending not only to their intellectual growth, but also to their development as adults committed to high ethical standards, and full participation as leaders in their communities.