The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is planning to utilize the Pharma R&D Fund, which is soon to be at its disposal, for assisting the industry to develop state-of-the-art testing facilities for conducting new drug research as well as world-class clinical research facilities within the country. The department is of the opinion that Indian scientists both in the public and private sector are in much need of the latest facilities, which can help them, work on new drug discovery. Modalities of the programme are being worked out.

Disclosing this to pharmabiz.com, Dr V S Ramamurthy, secretary, DST, said that the department would be able to spent about Rs 20 crore every year from the Rs 150 crore corpus fund, for the purpose. He felt that the amount could be utilized to set up at least one world class testing facility every year. The facilities are to come up both in the private and public sectors. The criteria for choosing the private companies is are to be worked out soon.

Dr Ramamurthy also stressed the need for shared facilities keeping in mind the aspirations of Indian drug research scientists working in several government research institutions and private companies.

The Pharma R&D Fund is thus to be made use for a specific purpose which is different to that of the mandates of Technology Development Board or the Drugs & Pharmaceutical Research Programme (DPRP).

While TDB was constituted in September 1996 to provide financial assistance to industrial concerns and other agencies for attempting development and commercial application of indigenous technology or adapting imported technology to wider domestic application, DPRP is meant for promoting collaborative R&D in drugs and pharmaceuticals sector with specific objectives to synergise the strengths of publicly funded R&D institutions and Indian pharmaceutical industry in all systems of medicines and to create an enabling infrastructure, mechanisms and linkages to facilitate new drug development. The Pharma Fund is to be utilized to augment the efforts that are being taken up through the existing programmes and help the industry take a lead in clinical drug research and development.

The creation of the R&D Fund for pharma industry was first proposed in the Union Budget 2000-2001.