Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has entered into a collaborative agreement with the National Chemical Laboratories (NCL) Pune & the Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi, in the area of New Drug Discovery.

Ranbaxy and DST will jointly fund NCL, under the aegis of the Pharmaceuticals Research and Development Support Fund (PSRDF), to synthesize novel anti-infective drugs. Ranbaxy will screen these molecules and identify promising candidates for further development. A joint research committee, comprising members from all the partnering organisations will monitor and direct the course of the research, a release from Ranbaxy said.

The tripartite agreement was signed at the Company's R&D facility in Gurgaon (Haryana), India by Dr M K Gurjar, Head & Deputy Director of the Organic Chemistry Technology Division, NCL, Dr. Kasim Mookhtiar, Head, Drug Discovery of the Company and Dr. GS Samathanam, Director, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, New Delhi.

Commenting on the development of Dr Brian W Tempest, CEO & managing director of the Company Said, "We are pleased to join hands with NCL & DST in this programme of collaborative research. I believe the combination will release powerful synergies that will lead to the discovery and development of new and innovative medicines to combat infectious diseases."