Although the country's drug research sector had a sigh of relief when heard about the government announcement that it would expand the pharma R&D fund to Rs 150 crore annually instead of the interest part of the Rs 150 crore corpus, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is learnt to have taken no final decision on how to raise the amount. Rather, the Department is still inviting suggestions from various quarters, including industry representatives to find ways and means to materialize this demand, it is learnt.

Speaking to pharmabiz.com, highly placed sources from DST said that no concrete decision has been taken in this regard. "The Pharmaceutical Research and Development Support Fund (PRDSF) is being operated with the available corpus. The department is aware of the industry complaints. We are yet to decide on how to increase the corpus," he said.

However, the DST sources declined to comment on the recent announcement of Kapil Sibal, minister of Science and Technology, about a plan to seek Rs 150 crore as budgetary allocation every year towards the PRDSF for promoting drugs R&D. The allocation, if materialized, would have made Rs 150 crore at the disposal of the ministry as against Rs 25 crore that can be used today.

They also informed that the government is soon to announce an Apex S & T Advisory Body for the overall development of science and technology sector in the country. "The Prime Minister has already announced the plans for the body. The formalities of the Apex Body would be worked out soon", he said.