In a significant step towards facilitating advanced clinical research activities, ICICI Knowledge Park and Apollo Hospitals have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today. The MoU was signed by N Vaghul, Chairman, ICICI Bank Ltd and ICICI Knowledge Park and Preeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, in the presence of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Others who were present on the occasion included Vidyadhar Rao, Major Industries Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh, B P Acharya, Secretary, Dept of Industries and Commerce, AP, Shobana Kamineni, Director, KEI Corpn, Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, CEO, ICICI Knowledge Park and Hari Prasad, General Manager, ICICI Bank Ltd.

Addressing a press conference after signing the MoU, Vaughal said, "We have constantly endeavoured to provide value added services at the ICICI Park and this MoU with Apollo Hospitals will further enhance our commitment to the Park tenants."

He said Hyderabad had emerged as the most favoured destination for biotech research. "We have the capabilities, skills and the manpower. ICICI Park is the gateway to this vast pool of talent. The Park encourages research and development in all knowledge intensive fields. The Park provides a range of support services to resident companies to create a congenial stress-free environment and ensure customer delight."

Vaghul said the pharma companies and the healthcare sector cannot survive without new drug discoveries. Healthcare would be becoming a major industry, which should be equipped to face the challenges through new discoveries through world-class research.
He said ICICI itself was a creation of the industry and "this is the way we want to pay back to the industry."

He said the Park would be setting up animal and clinical testing facilities for the use of the tenants. The setting up of an Incubator at a cost of Rs 32 crore was on the cards. The Park was also trying to bring a lab of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which would provide very sophisticated equipment for value-added service, he said.

Apollo Hospitals chairman, who could not be present for the signing of the MoU, in a statement, said, " Apollo Hospitals Group network has proven capabilities and world-class scientists for clinical trials, research and education. This facility will be an asset to ICICI Knowledge Park

As part of this agreement, Apollo Hospitals and its wholly owned subsidiary, Spectra Clinical Research Centre (SCRC), would associate with ICICI Park and ensure support to the present and potential tenant companies at the Park in clinical research activities and other aspects of healthcare. The hospital would provide assistance in:
*Clinical research activity involving trials with specific products
*Clinical trial material needs
*Opportunity to interact with clinical physicians for local patient information (Apollo Hospitals' Telemedicine service is an essential ingredient here)
*Healthcare interaction for diagnostic and therapeutic product development
*Staff health well-being and illness care.

According to Dr Pratap Reddy the hospital would set up a full-fledged wet laboratory facility at the Park, at a suitable stage, for better client interaction and management.

Preeta Reddy, who participated in the press conference, said while offering the vast resources of the hospitals' database and clinical testing facilities, the hospital would strictly follow the medical and ethical issues. " We will do according to the guidelines which are being worked out," she said.

Calling it a momentous day for Apollo Hospitals, Preeta Reddy said SCRC was an organization with a mission to ensure the conduct of drug trials according to ICH-GCP guidelines. To work along with ICICI, she said, the hospitals' clinical research work and infrastructure would be available to the Park tenants. " We are equipped with clinical testing manpower and our R&D Division is one of the most efficient," she said.

B P Acharya said ICMR was planning to set up an animal breeding and research facility at the Park with the help of the National Institute of Health (NIH) USA at a cost of Rs 100 crore. An agri-biotech research unit with ICRISAT as the hub is also being planned besides the Rs 32-crore Incubator project in the Park, he said. Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, CEO, ICICI Park, outlined the activities and the services being offered in the Park.