The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has proposed a mission mode programme in the area of biomaterial and medical device technologies to promote R&D and industrial activity in this direction. The DBT envisages this to be an integrated effort by the Department of Science & Technology and Department of Biotechnology.

As part of DBT's future plans in preventive and therapeutic medical biotechnology, it has also mooted plans for the establishment of a centre for translational research. This new institute would be interdisciplinary and will deal with technology policy for public health, molecular pathogenesis of disease, technology development, scale up, product evaluation and technology diffusion into programmes. The Centre will be unique in having a pool of scientists, physicians, engineers, and public health persons working on public health grand challenges. This institute will work through public-private partnerships and be a training centre for product development, IPR and regulation.

As DBT secretary Dr M K Bhan had informed pharmabiz recently, the department is giving much thrust on improvements in infrastructure and networks in the medical biotechnology area. If DBT plans get materialise, two centres of molecular medicine will be supported within medical school system closely interacting with basic science institutes. Establishment of a virtual network of stem cell centres using a city cluster approach to network scientists and clinicians and setting up of two core stem cell research centres with several network subclusters are other major proposals made by DBT. There is also move for opening an umbilical cord stem cell bank.

According to the Strategy Paper of DBT, there is also a proposal for an inter agency task force of ICMR, Department of Biotechnology, and DST to suggest strategies for strengthening medical school based research. This could help supporting capacity related to translational biology, clinical trials, molecular epidemiology and product development in the country. Integrated MD-PhD programme is yet another objective of the department.

Medical biotechnology offers a significant possibility for Indian industry to establish a strong pharmacy sector, a growing number of small and medium biotechnology companies, a large network of universities, research institutes, and medical schools and low cost of product evaluation. The medical biotechnology sector annually contributes over 2/3rd of the biotechnology industry turnover. The Indian vaccine industry has highlighted India's potential by emerging as an important source of low cost vaccine for the entire developing world. Further, economic opportunities through contract research and manufacturing through global partnerships are large if supported by enabling government policies and incentives.

The DBT has therefore decided to accord high priority to basic and applied research, to strengthen capacity in pre-clinical and clinical product evaluation technologies relevant to all aspects of health and medical care-predictive, preventive, therapeutic and restorative will be supported. Innovation will be supported through new granting mechanisms to support interdisciplinary networks and public private partnerships.