Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) has bagged contract research assignments from seven multinational drug companies recently.

The institute has also decided to enhance the number of foreign contacts and is in the process of setting up a new information system for getting access to international companies active in outsourcing bulk drugs / intermediate synthesis.

According to IICT sources, the total contract value of its current contracts exceeds US$ 2 million. They informed that the institute has signed contract research assignments with Cytomed (USA), Arqule (USA), SB (UK), Dupont Merck (USA), Pfizer (USA), Novo Nordisk (Denmark) and Dorea (France) recently. The contract research assignments include solid phase chemistry for automated synthesis, generation of combinatorial libraries, rational design of new chemical entities with biological activity, new chemistry and process options for INDs and knowledge based services. The institute is also exploring the possibilities of catalyzing joint ventures between Indian and overseas drugs / pharma companies utilizing the outputs of overseas contract R&D.

Meanwhile, IICT has joined hands with Customs Molecules Private Limited (CMPL) a consortium of Hyderabad based small and medium scale bulk drug industries, to set up a new information system for getting access to international companies active in outsourcing bulk drugs / intermediate synthesis. IICT is acting as a consultant to CMPL in assisting the latter in quick process development of drugs / intermediates offered as candidates for custom synthesis by overseas sponsors. Successful execution of this joint initiative is expected to open new avenues to Indian SMEs in drugs / pharma sector to enter global custom synthesis market.

IICT has synthesized more than 5000 new chemical entities with complex structures during the last 4 years. The institute has identified potential molecules for advanced screening in areas like anti-mycotic agents, novel saccharide derivatives (anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative), antagonist analogues and mimetics of vasoactive intestinal peptides for cancer therapy and anti-TB compounds. Molecules for biological activity against HIV is also being screened here.

Sources point out that IICT has intensified its discovery research in frontline areas to prepare Indian drugs and pharmaceutical sector to meet the patent challenges of WTO in 2005. The institute is well equipped with latest research and analytical facilities like automated chromatographic fractionator for separation of multi-component chemical entities and parallel synthesizers based on solid and solution phase chemistry to generate combinatorial libraries and computer work stations for molecular modeling to assess the structure - activity relationship of new chemical entities. It has a wide range of highly sophisticated instrumented analytical facilities including FT-NMR, FT-TR, GC-MS, LC-MS-MS, MALDI-TOFF, XRD, micro calorimetry for thermal analysis and a several high performance liquid chromatographs for characterization of new chemical entities.