The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has received Rs130 crore from the Planning Commission towards its Pharmaceutical Research and Development Support Fund (PRDSF) for the financial year 2006-07, to promote collaborative R&D in drugs and pharmaceuticals sector.

From the total amount, Rs 70 crore will be allotted to the industry to aid the R&D activities in drug development, while the remaining Rs60 crore will be earmarked to the institutes conducting drug development activities in collaboration with private partners, informed a higher official from DST.

An expert's committee nominated by the DST will be summoned once in every two months to discuss the funding matters and to scrutinize the proposals from companies and institutes. The officials said that the department is ready to extend the loan upto 70% of the cost of research with a time limit of 10 years, if the committee feels the project important. At present, the department has received about 5 proposals for the year 2006-07.

The official said that the department had made sure that 100% of the funds allocated for the year 2005-06, Rs 115 crore, has been utilised in such a way that the industry had its benefits in R&D. Around 22 players from the industry had benefited from the fund last year. The department also aided the setting up of seven national facilities including R&D facility for natural products in Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Stem Cell research facility at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, upgradation of Safety Pharmacology measures in National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) according to Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), setting up Bio Safety Level three (BSL 3) facility in Indian Institute of Sciences, Banglore, Bio Safety Level four (BSL 4) facility in National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and facility for tests on reproductive toxicology at National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH), Mumbai.

The BSL 4, in NIV, is one of its unique types in the country, which equips the research fraternity to conduct high-risk pathology tests on serious disease like SARS and bird flu. The official sources also stated that the facility for testing reproductive toxicology had been established for the first time in India, to examine the impact of a drug in the next generation. The facility is to aid the industry in export of drugs to regulated market.

So far the DST's program has extended funds to almost 90 projects, conducted under 27 companies all over the country. The DST has also extended funds to 80 collaborative projects and 75 research facilities, according to an official.