RCC Ltd, Europe's leading contract research organisation (CRO) specialized in pre-clinical tests, is scouting for partners in India to form a strategic alliance to facilitate animal tests in the country. The Switzerland-based CRO major, which has already commenced its representative office in India, is looking at this country as a fast growing market for drug development. RCC with its current facilities in Switzerland and Germany, is one of the largest pre-clinical research companies in the world. With local alliance in India, the company looks for suitable animal test facility to initiate its 'fast into man' projects for its clients both in India and overseas.

While speaking to Pharmabiz.com, Ludwig G Ullmann, Head of Business Development and Study Director, RCC Ltd, said that the CRO could cater to globally relevant projects from India using new techniques in line with advancements in regulatory thinking and requirements. "The ideal collaborative partner in India could be contract research organisation or even a pharmaceutical company having an animal facility that should match with our standards to conduct pre-clinical tests," he said.

Ullman, who was on a recent visit in India, has seen some of the animal facilities in the country. "Let me take the message to my organization in Switzerland about the potential and a possible alliance here now and a corporate decision in this regard will be emerged soon," Ullmann said.

"Though the current animal laws in the country is much stringent and not very encouraging as far as the trials in big animals are concerned, we hope that the government will realize the need of comfortable laws to facilitate and support drug development soon," he added.

However, till the regulations are made encouraging in the area of big animal tests, we can start with the small animal tests here with the help of a local partner. "Even as our aim is to find out an ideal animal testing facility, we would prefer to tie-up with a CRO. But if any pharmaceutical companies having good animal house come forward with such an offer, we would look into that as well. However, in case of pharma companies as our partners, we will have to take the consent of our clients, as they may have reservations on conducting animal trials in another pharma company," Ullman informed.

RCC's core capabilities at present are in toxicology, genotoxicity/ cytotoxicity, pharmacology, kinetics/ADME, pharmaceutical quality control, analytical chemistry, ecotoxicology, environmental fate, animal breeding, transgenic technology and regulatory affairs and consulting.

Currently, RCC Ltd has five semi-autonomous operating divisions enabling each to be more flexible and responsive to client requirements mainly focussing at toxicology, environmental chemistry and pharmanalytics, registration and consulting, biotechnology and animal breeding, genetic toxicology and cell biology and IT-systems & software development.

According to Ullmann, India is emerging as one of the most ideal locations in the world for clinical research and drug development, the company foresees a major boost in its projects at this part of the globe where the latest technologies and expertise that the company has developed over the years to perform all aspects of health and environmental safety testing.