The-Hyderabad based Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), a joint venture of Andhra Pradesh government, University of Hyderabad and Dr Reddy's Laboratories, has entered into research collaboration agreement with the Barker Heart Research Institute, Australia, it is learnt.

As per the collaboration, which is yet to be formally announced, both parties will work together for development of drugs for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Under the collaboration, researches will be carried out both at the Institute of Life Sciences and Barkar Hard Institute. The molecules, which are being developed under the collaboration, will be out licensed to the domestic as well as international companies.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Javed Iqbal, director, Institute of Life Sciences, said, "We have entered into research collaboration with the Melbourne-based Barker Heart Research Institute recently. Under the collaboration, Institute of Life Sciences and Barker Heart Research Institute will work together for the development of molecules for diabetes, obesity and cancer and will out licence to the pharmaceutical companies in a later stage. It is a unique model of growth plan and first of its kind in the country and we are always open to research collaborations with the pharmaceutical companies. The development and outsourcing of drugs and molecules in partnership with other institutes will support us financially."

It is also learnt that the institute, which currently carrying out ten projects, is looking for further research collaborations and is expected draw agreements with a few companies in another six months. The institute, which has research collaborations with the US-based Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, is planning to increase the manpower strength from current 60 to 200 in another two years.

It is also planning to set up two centres of excellences; one for entrepreneurs and other for drug discovery. Javed Iqbal added that the centre of excellence for entrepreneurs is with a view to create spirit entrepreneurship and is also looking to develop it as an incubation centre. The planned centre of excellence for drug discovery will carry out preclinical, clinical and toxicology studies. The development of infrastructure is expected to finish by next year.