Lotus Clinical Research Academy (LCRA), engaged in consultancy and training in the area of life sciences, has collaborated with Sequent Scientific Limited to offer courses in the area of Pharmaceutical R&D. The courses will commence early next month.
Sequent is an active pharmaceutical ingredient R&D, manufacture and analytical services company. A 10-month Diploma programme and a four-month certificate course are planned in the area of API Technology. More courses in the area of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Formulation Development, etc will be introduced in future. While LCRA will offer the theory classes in Bangalore, Sequent will provide the practical expertise at its facility in Mangalore.
Sequent, formerly known as P I Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited, exports to Europe, South America, Australia, Asia and Africa. The Group's plants are located at Ambernath, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra and Bangalore of Karnataka.
Although this is the first time that a clinical research training major has moved away from its customary expertise to offer courses in pharmaceutical field, Sudhir Pai, managing director, LCRA views it as a possible trend which will soon catch on, going by the paucity of trained professionals in the field. “We have expanded our base and need to support the industry. To provide the best in terms of course content, LCRA is hiring chemistry and API technology experts from the industry, so that students will be able to get the best out of the course,” he added.
India is also recognized as an Pharmaceutical R&D hub. The infrastructure, expertise, cost and time line deliveries are key factors driving the outsourcing market. Therefore a course in this field will add much value in terms of creating the right personnel. In order to create awareness on the availability of the course, LCRA is looking at contacting pharmacy colleges, industry and advertise in the media on the indispensable factors of the four-month comprehensive programme.
According to Pai, LCRA’s programmes in the field of Clinical Research are well accepted by the industry. The blend of live projects and theory training is unique and it not only reduces training time of employees and attrition levels, but also saves the cost considerably. Students get a flavour of the industry and work atmosphere. This will help them plan their future in a better way.
Since we have been very successful in bridging the demand-supply gap in Clinical Research space by offering courses based on industry oriented training, university tie-ups and live projects, we are leveraging our experience in clinical research to expand our operations into pharmaceutical area.
The pharma industry is growing rapidly. The need for skilled manpower has increased manifold due to consolidation and globalization. We realize that trained manpower at the entry level is the best way forward to bridge the talent gap, said K R Ravishankar, chairman and managing director, Sequent.