The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, and B V Patel Pharmaceutical Education & Research Development (PERD) Centre with the backing of the central and state governments, are setting up an incubation centre to promote the start up pharma and bio therapeutic companies in Gujarat.

The project was launched last week with a ground breaking function held at the PERD Centre and the civil works has been commenced to set up a facility at a 12,000 sq ft area. The incubation centre, designed as an easy entry-easy exit model, will have a capacity to facilitate eight to 10 start up companies, informs Dr Harish Padh, project director, NIPER-Ahmedabad and director, PERD Centre.

"Two companies are already working in our existing facility in PERD Centre. We thought to take the initiative forward to benefit the small and medium level pharma, biotech companies. Through the facility a start up company could take off their operations in a week's time with minimum capital cost," said Dr Padh. The expected investment for the project is Rs 5 crore. The first phase of operations on the new facility is expected to begin in next six to eight months.

The incubator centre, designed in flexible modular system to accommodate companies in customised area, will have common wet lab facility and the companies could have full access to the pre-clinical, clinical and analytical facilities and the library of PERD Centre on reasonable charges.

The PERD Centre has also opened separate upgraded wings for pre-clinical and clinical studies, last week. The pre-clinical and clinical facilities, built up in an area of 4000 sq ft each, are upgraded to meet the requirements of various regulatory bodies in the West. The pre-clinical facility houses a modern air handling system and separate facilities for biochemistry testing and blood profiling and a biopack system for collecting vital details to benefit research on cardiac and neurological drugs.

The main objective of setting up the new wings is to support the small and medium scale companies in R&D operations enabling them to export the drugs to the western countries. The facility will soon apply for the European and Brazilian regulatory bodies for approval and eventually will approach US Food and Drug Administration for accreditation, says Dr Padh.

The two wings were developed with an investment of Rs 2 crore, and with the support of the state government. Dr M Sahu, principal secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Gujarat, inaugurated the new pre-clinical and clinical wings. The pre-clinical wing has already started operations while the clinical facility will commence operations within a week.