Global research and development centres including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are currently working to develop  technologies to address delivery of inhaled insulin and estrogen replacement procedures which are the latest trends in molecular medicine. From an Indian perspective, researchers are pursuing studies to develop vaccines for malaria and HIV.  Such high risk research themes will help provide economies- of-scale in healthcare, according to medico-scientists.

At the two-day EmTech India 2010 conference held in Bangalore, medico-scientists from India and the US were deliberating on the need for innovation to economize healthcare costs and attract potential funding from venture capitalists.

There are 5000 MIT related companies employing over one million individuals with a fund infusion of $10,000 million. The life sciences centre at MIT has developed advanced drug delivery devices including polymer wafers to prevent the spread of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) or  brain tumour affecting 40,000 patients annually. There are also technologies like the adoption of spray drying technique for inhalers, micro chips for drug delivery and sutures for laparoscopic procedures which have not only be able to expand market opportunities but also bring down healthcare costs.

“This can happen only if R&D efforts demonstrate effective technology transfer capabilities for commercialization at a faster pace. This is where a conducive environment  is created to maximize translation research capability from a laboratory to a clinic. A multidisciplinary setting where clinicians teamed-up with engineering experts would enable technology transfer at a rapid pace for commercialization”, stated Dr Jeffrey M Karp, HST Affiliate faculty and assistant professor, Harvard Medical School and Co-director, Regenerative Therapeutic Centre, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

In his special address on “lab-based  proof-of-concepts”, Dr. Karp  highlighted that a team of chemists, chemical-mechanical-electrical engineers, surgeons and microbiologists would help  activate innovation and breakthroughs.

Although many of the research encountered funding hassles, there was a huge pool of venture capitalists who could  comprehended the need to nurture and build value- added technologies in the medical space, said Dr Karp.

Leading a panel discussion on ‘Activating the Innovation Gene,’ Dr D Balasubramanian, director, LV Prasad Eye Institute pointed out a  transformation in research in India with the undergraduate curriculum mandating students to undertake research is required by associating with an institute or industry.

India’s medico-scientific pool has also been engaged in the development of platform technologies to speed up diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and develop vaccines for malaria and HIV.

The Bangalore arm of the Thrombosis Research Institute, UK along with start-up company Jai Medica which has a proprietary technology is now  conducting an epidemiological study on 10,000 patients to detect cardiovascular disease(CVD) using salvia. The detection would also  create a pathway for vaccine development to prevent heart attacks by Thrombosis Research Institute.

According to Dr Sanjay, Kakkar, Trustee, Thrombosis Research Institute and founder Jai Medica, the DNA technology would bring down cost of CVD diagnostics. Although saliva has been used to detect CVD in the West and ascertain the incidence in individuals  and their families, in India it is a first time effort to estimate the future risks of the dreaded condition.

Dr Chetan Chitnis, principal leader, Malaria Group, ICGEB stated that while MIT has strong Technology Transfer Office, India was not able to sign deals because of poor commercialization agreements and the lack of tough, supportive regulatory system for recombinant products including vaccines.

In the effort to develop an HIV vaccine, Udaykumar Ranga, professor of  JNASR is now carrying out studies using a poly herbal formulation which is showing positive results to treat AIDS.