The Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) gave worldwide licensing rights to carry out clinical development and commercialization of a novel clot busting therapeutic protein to Nostrum Pharmaceutical Inc., New Jersey, USA.

A technology licensing agreement was signed on July 27, 2006.

Nostrum, founded by Dr Nirmal Mulye, will develop the therapeutic protein in association with Symmetrix Pharmaceuticals Inc., an affiliate of Nostrum. Symmetrix is a biopharmaceuticals company also based in New Jersey and was founded by Dr Yatindra Prashar, a renowned biotechnologist. The therapeutic protein, Clot Specific Streptokinase (CSSK) was developed at IMTECH. CSSK is an engineered protein produced by recombinant DNA technology.

Sources said the complementary DNA (cDNA) coding for Streptokinase has been fused with the cDNA of another naturally occurring human blood protein. In genetics, cDNA is DNA synthesized from a mature mRNA template and is often used to clone eukaryotic genes in prokaryotes. The resulting hybrid protein is a product that has a high affinity for the blood clot while it does not have any plasminogen lysis property. However, upon binding to the blood clot protein fibrin, the hybrid protein is lysed into its individual component proteins. As a result, streptokinase is released and is active only in the vicinity of the blood clot.

The common problem of blood thinning associated with Streptokinase due to general and widespread plasminogen lysis in the blood that can cause severe bleeding and hence death in some cases, will be avoided when CSSK is used.

IMTECH has already obtained a European patent for this molecule, and the Indian and US patents are pending. IMTECH, which is one of the premier institutes governed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India, is a premier biology research institute in India focusing on emerging areas of biotechnology and microbiology.

Nostrum Pharmaceuticals is involved in development and commercialization of products using novel drug delivery systems for generic and branded pharmaceuticals in the US. Nostrum recently acquired a large stake in a public company, Synovics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. through which it plans to commercialize various pharmaceuticals products.