Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited entered into a collaboration with National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali and Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi, in the area of New Drug Discovery.

Ranbaxy and NIPER jointly conceived the project titled 'Computer Aided Drug Design & Synthesis of novel small molecules as potential anti-asthma agents'.

As per the alliance, Ranbaxy and DST will fund NIPER, to synthesize small molecules as anti-asthma drugs. Ranbaxy will screen these molecules and identify candidates for further development.

The tripartite agreement was signed today at New Delhi by Dr CL Kaul, director, NIPER, Dr Kasim Mookhtiar, vice-president - NDDR, R&D, Ranbaxy, and Dr GJ Samathanam, director, Department of S& T, Govt. of India, New Delhi, according to an official release.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr Kasim Mookhtiar, vice president - NDDR, R&D, Ranbaxy, said, "The Indian pharmaceutical industry is changing rapidly. One of the emerging paradigms would be to generate revenues from 'Proprietary Prescription Products."

NIPER believes that successful execution of this collaborative programme will not only further strengthen the interaction of the Institute with Ranbaxy or industrial houses in general, but will also promote industry-academia interaction in the country, which is the need of the day.

Recognizing the profound influence of R&D on the prospects and opportunities for the growth of Indian drug industry, DST mounted the programme on drug development during 1994-95, for promoting collaborative R&D in Drugs and Pharmaceutical Sector. With a financial outlay of Rs. 80 crore, DST has sanctioned 49 such Pharma industry/institutions collaborations so far. This is the first alliance between Ranbaxy and NIPER under the DST-academia-industry collaboration programme.