India’s biggest event on biotechnology to cover the impact of biotechnology on healthcare
February 10 2016, 12.40 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
Bangalore, Feb 10th, 2016: The 16th edition of the India’s premier biotech event Bangalore INDIA BIO 2016 was inaugurated in the city today by Chief Guest Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Government of India. The event was hosted by Ms. V. Manjula, IAS Principal Secretary, Department of Information, Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka and Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman & MD, Biocon and Chairperson, Karnataka Vision Group.
With the core theme being -'What's Trending in BIOTECH INDIA, on bio pharma, Agri biotech, bio-IT, bioinformatics, genomics, data mining, predictive medicine are some of the futuristic sciences.
The first day began with a positive note with promise made by the Karnataka government to centre all efforts to strengthen the bio-cluster ecosystem in the state. It also stated that it would be the first in the country to unveil the Orphan Drug Policy and release the Biotech Policy version 3 in a few months.
It was also announced that the government will set up incubation centres at Dharwad, Belagavi, Bidar and Mangaluru besides take the signing of letter of intent between Bengaluru and Boston for the creation of a biotech corridor.
Biocon Chief Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said that human capital will shape India’s prowess in science and technology and will offer a lot in terms of affordability & innovation. In her speech she urged Dr. Harsh Vardhan to encourage incubators across all universities in India and said that with the current 15,000 graduate and post graduate students in bio-technology and a turnover of $11 billion and the ambition is to take it to $100 billion by 2025. Dr. Shaw also added that Karnataka is in the process of announcing the orphan drug policy, which she said was need of the hour.
During the keynote lecture Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India said that having celebrated 30 years in the industry, the government sees incredible value from investing in science & technology and people in India. The Indian vaccine industry has saved lives all over the world and Karnataka has the potential to lead biotechnology research with Bangalore taking a lead in knowledge-based entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the opening day of the Bangalore India Bio, leaders in Life Sciences presented their views at the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) India Making Tomorrow’s Medicine. Speaking at the event, Indian entrepreneur and Chairwoman of India’s biggest bio-tech company, Biocon Limited, Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, said in making the Medicines of Tomorrow, the endeavour should be to leverage innovation to develop therapies which are affordable and accessible. “As global priorities shift from providing exclusive and expensive drugs to more affordable drugs to enhance access to greater patient populations, we need to focus on developing blockbuster drugs with a potential to benefit a billion patients,” said Dr. Shaw.
“A developing country like India needs to invest in an affordable innovation model that can help address the burgeoning healthcare challenges of India, where 80 percent of healthcare expenses are borne by the patients, in the absence of a universal healthcare program run by the Government.”
“The UK, with its ecosystem of research institutes, innovative companies and a large scientific pool, has become an important destination for high-end innovation and research. As large numbers of Indian companies commit themselves to innovation, UK’s innovation ecosystem can provide learning opportunities for these companies to develop new competencies through collaborative research and alliances and join hands in their pursuit of addressing unmet medical needs,” she said.
The UK has the strongest overseas presence with more than 20 companies participating in the 16th edition of Bangalore India Bio. Deputy High Commissioner, Dominic McAllister, said the UK and India have built a legacy of collaboration in life sciences over recent years.
“Our role within the British Deputy High Commission in Bengaluru is to not only strengthen existing links, but also to explore new ways of working together. Making Tomorrow’s Medicines in India using UK capabilities is aligned to Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Make In India and is an example of GREAT for Collaboration an exciting campaign that inspires new partnerships between the UK and India.
The UK has a long track record of cost-effective and compliant medicines manufacturing from leading global companies. India has taken over from Italy as one of the leading supplier of manufacturing supply chains and is ideally positioned to be the hub of activity around Making Tomorrow’s Medicine.
Jon Mowles, UKTI Life Science Sector Specialist, who is leading the British delegation, said that the UK has a rich heritage of life science discovery that has transformed scientific knowledge and continues to unlock clinical and commercial opportunities for many countries, including India.
“UK science is world-class, offering industry an opportunity to partner with globally recognised pioneers and innovators. Twenty-five percent of drugs in the UK are made in India and I am looking forward to meeting with Indian experts and discuss how we can Make Tomorrow’s Medicine together,” he said.
The Third session of the day ‘Oncology & Precision Medicine’ focused on the need for precision medicines used to treat different and special cases of cancers. Dr. Paul Salins, Medical Director and Vice – President, Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centre & Narayana Hrudayalaya Multispecialty Hospital’s opening remarks pointed at understanding the full potential of precision medicine, and the need for collaboration in the ecosystem that comprises of academic labs, stakeholders for development and marketing for regulatory framework. The session also covered various topics such as Global Best practices, Parameters and regulatory guidelines, Ethics against misuse of tests to name a few. The key takeaway from the session was the need for precision drugs or personalized medicines that closely matches currently approved drugs as much as possible, keeping specific cases and patients in mind with attention to the molecular level; especially for diseases like cancer.
The next discussion focused on Rare Diseases and orphan drugs was centered on solutions: diagnosis and treatment of the estimated 7k rare diseases affecting at least 1 in 20 people in India. Dr. Sushrusha Nayak, Visiting Scientist, Centre for Human Genetics spoke about - Gene therapy – idea of replacing a defective gene in a genetic diseases- viral vector base; non-viral vector base such as Adeno associated Virus vector, Pompe disease, hemophilia etc. Several diagnosis related case studies and reports were presented by experts such as ORDI - Organisation for Rare Disease India and Aten Porus Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd. The panelists also discussed the challenges in finding solutions to rare diseases such as limited knowledge, complex regulatory pathways and fewer patients. The first steps of which was understood as finding the right information for treating and getting investments for research.
Day 1 concluded with a Global Biotech Conclave with Biotech Leaders conclave discussing on “What’s TRENDING in Biotech India and Will the Biopharma Industry Seek an Innovation Path of Growth?” The panel had leaders from across the globe including representatives from Biocon, Thermo Fisher, Smart Avenue – Korea, Evolva Biotech, Quintiles, UKTI, K&S Partners. This was an exclusive gathering of the Biotech Community (CEOs, R&D Heads, Policy makers, Venture Capitalists, Investment Bankers, etc.)
Day 1 at Bangalore India BIO was fraught with thought provoking sessions and was graced by stalwarts from the Government & industry. Needless to say, the day ended on a rather high note leaving the audience & attendees looking forward to two action-packed days to come.
