In a move to strengthen its global presence, the Reliance Life Sciences (RLS) has entered into a partnership with MPM Capital, the US-based global investment management firm focusing on healthcare investing. It has also incorporated a US entity, especially in clinical research services in Delaware.

With its first investment in venture capital, RLS has become a limited partner of MPM Capital's newest fund, MPM BioVentures IV, and will get access to the intellectual capital and to the investor committee of MPM. It will also help the company to raise life sciences fund in India in due course of time. The partnership will enable RLS to make use of MPM's expert guidance.

The BioVentures IV will invest in the emerging life science companies to dedicate an investment professional to the MPM/RLS partnership, and to explore the potential for a new India-only seed fund. The MPM will assist Reliance to grow its clinical research group globally. It will expand beyond supporting RLS' outsourcing efforts to find out developing technology and products that will have relevance not only in the Indian market but also in the world markets.

K V Subramaniam, president and CEO of Reliance Life Sciences said, "Central to the vision of building a biotechnology industry in India is the creation of a life sciences ecosystem. This work has been going on for a few years, but what we have in place now is only the tip of the iceberg. By investing in competencies and infrastructure and by replicating the approach in other biotech related disciplines and by working with MPM, the partnership can enable a vibrant life sciences sector in India".

The RLS will explore investments in the Indian based companies with a focus on more conventional pharmaceutical products as well as those within novel arenas including molecular diagnostics, biosimilars and stem cells.

The Reliance Clinical Research Services Pvt Ltd (RCRS) expects to grow the US entity substantially over the next few years, with acquisitions in new regions, new services and improved scientific and technology platforms. The expansion of clinical research services into US is an important step in creating a global footprint for the life sciences initiative of Reliance. It will also provide RLS a platform to make a mark in the global effort to develop drug candidates in an efficient manner.

The company's present contracts are mainly from the US, Europe and Japan and RLS have conducted over 120 trials, ranging from phase I to phase IV studies. The company, which has currently 12 leadership people in US, will increase it to 50 in the coming year, Subramaniam added.