Since the global competition and the patent regulations are increasingly alarming the poor countries about the affordability and availability of essential drug the Indian scientists and drug research companies should work towards devising a strategy for the discovery of effective and affordable life saving drugs, says Dr. M. G.Takawale, Vice Chancellor, and the chief guest at the International Symposium on Drug Discovery and Process Research organized by by Shivaji University, Kolhapur.

Speaking on the occasion, he stressed on the need of developing effective and affordable life saving drugs to be within the reach of the common people. He said,`` it is the need of the time that international community sit together to develop effective process towards drug discovery''. He further added that with the increase in the population drug development a very important field.

Revealing the aim of the symposium, Dr. V. M. Chavan, Pro-Vice Chancellor, chairman of the symposium, said,` The aim of the symposium is to make a global effort towards noble cause of drug discovery.'' Describing the moment as a `memorable moment' in the history of Shivaji University, he continued,``This is for the first time that Shivaji University has organised an International Symposium on such scale. We are happy to get an overwhelming response from the national as well as the overseas participants.''

Dr. A.R. Shelar, Head, Chemistry Department, Shivaji University, and Convenor of the Symposium said,`` We will be able to devise a strategy to bring resources from the entire world.This will surely benefit millions of people in the world.'' Elaborating on the idea that gave birth to the International Symposium, Shelar said,`` The idea to organise the event came out of the fact tha the reasearc being carried out on biologically active heterocyclics, in our chemistry department was internationally recognized. We have scientists here who have successfully worked on Anti-HIV Nucloesides,too,''

The symposium witnesses around 300 delegates (20 overseas) from all over the world viz, Prof.Victor G. Kartsev, Vice President Science and International Relations, Interbioscreen Limited, Russia, Prof. Raymond Schinazi, Director, Emory University Veterans, U.S.A., Prof. Vladimir Poroikov, Head,institute of biomedical chemistry, Russia, Dr. Athina Geronokaki, Aristotellian University, Greece, Dr. A. K. Saxena, CDRI, Luknow,India and Dr. M. K. Gurjar, NCL, Pune,India amongst others. The symposium would dwell on various topics related to the drug discovery alongwith Anti viral therapy (HIV, HBV, HCV), Genomics, Proteomics and Ayurveda.