The ninth annual symbosium of Ranbaxy Science Foundation (RSF), based on the theme "Therapeutic Antibodies" will be organized here on January 3, 2003. The event is to be followed by the Ranbaxy Research Award presentation ceremony where seven Indian scientists will be honoured for excellence in medical and pharmaceutical research. The symbosium is co-sponsored by Immunology Foundation of India.

Prof Ravinder N Maini, Head, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, Imperial College of Science and Medicine, London will deliver the keynote address on "Bench to bedside: Anti TNF, a paradigm for biological targeted therapy".

Announcing this at a press conference, Prof G P Talwar, founder director of National Institute of Immunology and chairman, Immunology Foundation of India, said the symbosium would attempt to understand the current advances in therapeutic antibodies and India's achievements in the particular sector.

The scientists attending the symposium are Prof T K S Mukkur (Australia), Prof Rainer Fischer (Germany), Dr Satish Gupta, Prof Ashok Kumar, Prof Tamnath Misra, Dr A N Malviya, Dr Soniya Nityanand, Dr Ashok Seth, Dr Ramesh Nimmagadda, Prof Lalit Kumar, Dr Rajan Sriramanm, Prof P V Subbarao, Dr Koninika Ray, Dr Subrata Sinha and Dr Usha Sarma. The topics covered would include the use of antibodies in inflammation, infectious diseases and their production. Management of diseases like cancer, aplastic anaemia, transplant-related diseases, fertility control, inflammation and allergies using therapeutic antibodies would also be discussed.

The receipts of Ranbaxy Research Awards for the year 2001 are Dr Kanury V S Rao, Dr S K Brahmachari, Dr G C Mishra, Dr Shyam Sundar, Prof Sudhir Gupta, Prof Virander S Chauhan and Dr Anil Kumar Saxena. Each award carries a citation, trophy and cash award of Rs 1 lakh.

RSF is a non-profit organization chaired by Dr Nitrynand, former director, CDRI, Lucknow. Initially incorporated as Ranbaxy Research Foundation by pharma major Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, the foundation was reconstituted as a separate society in May 1994.

The foundation aims to promote scientific endeavor in the country by encouraging and rewarding excellence in medical and pharmaceutical research and channeling national and international knowledge and expertise.