Vol. IX No.

ISSN No. 0972-737X

March - April 2008

Soon, artificial skin that feels hot & cold

research unit Nicholas

ties up with Dept of Biotechnology

Forget the pills: Now, a

vaccine will control BP In a first, whole organs grown from stem cells Genetic breakthrough in HIV fight
re Featu b New lu ch C Biote 's Profile ber Me m

DIRECTORY OF BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS IN INDIA

An essential reference & guide for Executives, Students, Investors, Administrators, Scientists, Fund Managers and Marketing Professionals in Biotechnology

5 Edition
An Indispensible Reference for Anyone and Everyone in Biotech
1000 entries of biotechnology companies and research institutions with key biotech data to facilitate close networking. INDUSTRY PROFILES: Company name, year of establishment, address, contact details, areas of activity, products, annual turnover, number of employees etc. INSTITUTION PROFILES: Contact details, fields of research, research facilities, technologies, group association, ongoing projects, patents etc.

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Vol. IX No. 2

ISSN No. 0972-737X

Mar. - Apr. 2008

CONTENTS
IN THE NEWS Bharat Biotech to launch upgraded hepatitis B vaccine .......................... NPIL to turn into Piramal Healthcare .......................................................... Gene behind hair loss identified ................................................................... Virgin Atlantic operates first on bio-fuel .................................................... International biotech cos want changes in patent law ............................ India, France to set a joint research lab on sustainable chemistry ...... Soon, artificial skin that feels hot & cold .................................................... MARKET/COLLABORATIONS Suven Life in talks with US co for drug discovery .................................... Biocon picks up majority stake in AxiCorp ............................................... Cognizant signs 5 yr pact with AstraZeneca ............................................. Reliance Life plans European buyout ........................................................... Ranbaxy board okays de-merger of R&D unit .......................................... Pfizer focuses on emerging markets expansion ......................................... Nicholas research unit ties up with Dept of Biotechnology .................. ICGEB enters into an agreement with Emory University........................ MEDICAL BIOTECH Nerve tissue created in lab ............................................................................ First chikungunya animal model created in France .................................. Virus for new brain cancer treatment ......................................................... Forget the pills: Now, a vaccine will control BP ....................................... Stem cell transplants help rats recover limb function after stroke ....... Avestha - Cipla JV lines Rs 600 cr for biotech units ............................... Now, a carrot for osteoporosis ..................................................................... Virtus develops GRT to cure chronic diseases ......................................... AGRI BIOTECH GM crops key to food self-sufficiency ........................................................ Farmers bask in BT cotton comfort ............................................................. Canada to help set up next gen bio-fuel projects .................................... Bt brinjal trials have GEAC approval: TNAU ........................................... Public-private partnership on Indias first Basmati rice hybrid ............. How plants protect themselves? .................................................................... R&D IDEAS Gene mutations may increase lifespan ........................................................ In a first, whole organs grown from stem cells .......................................... Anti-ageing substance found in bullfrogs ................................................... Genetic breakthrough in HIV fight ............................................................... Stem cell implants treat diabetes in mice ................................................... Substance in frog sking may hekp in treating diabetes ............................ Experts close to treating fractures with stem cells ................................... Team stumbles on key to aging ..................................................................... Using immune cells to fight HIV .................................................................... 2 2 2 3 3 4 4

BIOTECH BULLETIN
Biotech Bulletin is a bi-monthly publication brought out by Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL), a company promoted by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India and the All India Financial Institutions which is involved in facilitating accelerated development and commercialisation of biotechnology. The bulletin is a useful compilation of latest clippings from newspapers, magazines and journals on relevant areas in biotechnology including healthcare, agriculture, market/ collaborations, research and development. The publication is brought out exclusively for our Biotech Club Members. Note: As part of our extended benefits to the Biotech Club Members, we are glad to introduce a new feature Biotech-Club Members Profile. Starting with this issue, profiles of a member company and member institute would be featured, (in alphabetical order) enhancing the visibility and reach of the respective organizations.

5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9

Editorial Board
Dr. Purnima Sharma, Executive Director & CEO Dr. Jeevan Kumar, Manager Dr. Vivek Dikshit, Sr. Project Executive Abhishek Kumar, Project Executive

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Biotech Consortium India Limited

5th Floor, Anuvrat Bhawan 210, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, New Delhi 110 002 Tel: 011-2321 9064-67 Fax: 011-2321 9063 E-mail: bcildelhi@vsnl.com; info.bcil@nic.in Website: http://www.bcil.nic.in

14 15 16 16 17 18

18 18 19 19 20 20 21 22 22

The articles have been reproduced as such from various sources and BCIL does not authenticate the validity of the same.

BIOTECH CLUB MEMBERS PROFILE Amity Institute of Biotechnology ................................................................... 23 Agappe Diagnostics Ltd. ................................................................................. 24

Bharat Biotech to launch upgraded hepatitis B vaccine

BUSINESS LINE 26 February 2008 Bharat Biotech International Ltd. is firming up plans to launch the thimerosal-free hepatitis B vaccine in the global markets. Thimerosal-free implies that the vaccine is free of chemicals and does not need preservatives. Bharat Biotech is the first Indian vaccine manufacturer to successfully produce Revac-Bmcf and bring it to the domestic market. We are also trying to register it in countries where there is a potential market for the products by going through their regulatory demands soon, said

Ms Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director of the company. PREFERRED CHOICE A thimerosal-free hepatitis B vaccine, which is an upgraded version, could emerge as a preferred choice for paediatricians, especially for administering it to a new-born, within 12 hours of delivery. The launch of Revac-Bmcf (thimerosal -free) at a cost-effective price will also address the needs of parents and doctors, she said. counter medicine business. This would include ACTIS, the newly launched division focused on bringing out medicines for respiratory illnesses. The pathological test laboratories and diagnostics division, which operates Wellspring, would be under the umbrella of a separate division. The company however, is expected to keep its field force as a consolidated entity, according to sources. This is only board approval. (We) still need shareholder approval. Change will take time, Swati Piramal, director, NPIL told Hindustan Times. Her comments on the restructuring were not available. The company, controlled by the Mumbai-based Nicholas Piramal Group, is changing its name to Piramal Healthcare Ltd, as a beginning. The company has sent a notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange to the effect.

NPIL to turn into Piramal Healthcare

HINDUSTAN TIMES 6 March 2008 Nicholas Piramal India (NPIL), the Rs 5,700 crore research-to-clinics medicine company is embarking on a restructuring exercise that would start with a change in its name. According to sources in the industry, the broad contour of the restructuring could involve some consolidation of the 14 divisions inside the company in the form of Piramal Healthcare Ltd., possibly into three or four major divisions. In 2002, NPIL had divided its operations into these strategic divisions from eight business units in order to make each of the units into separate profit centers with a dedicated field force and focus. In August last year, NPIL spun off its research and development division to form a separate company named NPIL Research and Development, in an effort to de-risk the research activities and attract funding. The pharmaceuticals division would include the present drug manufacturing and marketing arms, and would continue the companys prescription and over the

Gene behind hair loss identified

TIMES OF INDIA 26 February 2008 People anxious over their hair loss might not need to worry anymore, for a gene that prevents regeneration of hair has been identified-opening a broad path to treatments for thinning locks. A healthy individual loses about 100 strands of hair daily, with losses occurring evenly around the whole scalp. However, this hair is replaced. The problem begins when the shedding goes beyond that number, and replacement lags. Now, after six years of study, researchers at the University of Bonn have identified a gene that causes a rare hereditary form of hair loss-Hypotrichosis simplex-throwing open the possibility of

regenerating hair. These researchers are the first to identify a receptor that plays a role in hair growth. They now hope that their research findings will lead to new therapies that will work with various forms of hair loss. Although Hypotrichosis simplex is very uncommon, it may prove critical in our search for an understand of the mechanisms of hair growth, Nature quoted project leader Dr Regina Betz from Bonns Institute of Human Genetics, as saying. At fault is a genetic defect that prevents certain receptors on the surface of hair follicle cells from being correctly formed.

March - April 2008

BiotechBULLETIN

Virgin Atlantic operates first flight on bio-fuel

THE HINDU 25 February 2008 Virgin Atlantic operated its first flight using bio-fuel on Sunday (Feb. 24). The Boeing 747-400 aircraft flew from London Heathrow to Amsterdam. There were no passengers on board the demonstration flight. Addressing the media before the flight took off, the President of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Branson, said no modifications were made to either the aircraft or the engines for the flight to be operated. Sir Richard said it was still a few years before such fuel can be used for comm-

ercial flights. The results of the flight will be shared with other airlines seeking to cut carbon emissions in the rest of the industry. The test flight was undertaken by Virgin Atlantic in partnership with Boeing GE Aviation and Imperium renewables. The total fuel used for the demonstration flight was 22,000 kg of which 5,500 kg of bio-fuel was made from a blend of coconut oil from the Philippines and babassu oil from Brazil. Neither of these feedstock competes with staple food supplies nor causes deforestation. applicants, subjecting valuable patent rights to uncertainty. Each patent applicant is responsible for tracing the history of all naturallyderived biological materials contributing to the invention, even if the applicant obtained the material from a commercial supplier and the material has been available from secondary sources for decades. The failure to identify the geographical source of a biological material used in the invention may be the basis for opposition or revocation proceedings. Such requirements pose unacceptable risks for patent applicants and would undermine the incentives of the patent system to promote innovation in biotechnological inventions, the BIA said. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the representative body of the US drug makers, has for long been vocing for more industry-friendly IP laws in India. Swiss multinational drug major Novartis had even taken the government to court on IP issues. The BIA move is a reiteration of the stand taken by multinational corporations that Indian patent laws do not favour large-scale patent monopoly for incremental innovations on known substances. Incidentally, India is not the sole target of the BIA. Countries like China, Thailand, Brazil, the Philippines, Argentina, Chile, Egypt, Israel and Ukraine have also been blamed for inadequate IP protection measures.
March - April 2008

International biotech cos want changes in patent law

BUSINESS STANDARD 21 February 2008 The Biotechnology Industry Association (BIA), the representative body of international biotech product makers, has expressed concern over the patent criteria norms prescribed under the Indian Patent Act. In a representation to the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on February 11, the association has demanded that India be kept under the priority watch list of USTR due to inadequate intellectual property (IP) compliance. BIA represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centres and related organizations in the US and 31 other countries. In addition to healthcare, BIA members cover sectors like agriculture, industrial and environmental biotechnology products and services. BIA feels that Indian laws are unclear on whether biomolecules like polypeptides and nucleic acids are eligible for patents in India. It is worried about specific clauses in the Indian Patent Act that disallows patents for known products unless they result in significant enhancement of the known efficacy. The organisation also expressed apprehensions about Indias preparedness in incorporating data protection clauses for medicines. Taking note of the Indian rules that requires applicants to disclose the source and geographical origin of biological materials used for invention, which is the subject of a patent application, BIA said these special disclosure requirements impose unreasonable burdens on patent

BIA is worried about specific clauses in the Indian Patent Act that disallow patents for known products unless they result in significant enhancement of the known efficacy

India, France to set up a joint research lab on sustainable chemistry

BIOSPECTRUM 7 February 2008 The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and French National Science Research Institute (CNRS) have entered into an agreement for the creation of a joint research laboratory on sustainable chemistry at interfaces. The CSIR-CNRS memorandum was signed recently in New Delhi by Catherine Brechignac, president CNRS, France and Prof. Samir K Brahmachari, director general, CSIR, in the presence of Valerie Pecresse, the French minister for higher education

and research and Kapil Sibal, the minister of science and technology and earth Sciences. A milestone of Indo-French partnership in the field of science and technology, the joint research laboratory will focus its research partnership in the areas of green chemistry targeting therapeutic agent for cancer and neuro disorders and protein interactions for targeting alternative drugs biological systems. The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, on of the CSIR laboratories will be implementing the program in partnership with the CNRS laboratory for molecular chemistry on molecular photonics and University of Rennes in France.

Soon, artificial skin that feels hot & cold

TIMES OF INDIA 11 March, 2008 Artificial skin made from thin layers of polymers and carbon nanotubes is being developed that could soon give patients and robots the sensation of hot, cold and pressure, its developers said. The artificial skin repel water and have built-in temperature sensors. By employing carbon nanotube technology, we can not only come very close to existing skin characteristics, we may even exceed them, ABC online quoted John Simpson, a senior research scientist at the US Oak Ridge National Laboratorys Nanomaterials Synthesis and Properties Group, as saying. Simpson and colleague Ilia Ivanov are working on the so-called FILMskin project, which stands for flexible, integrated, lightweight, multifunctional skin. For the project, the researchers are using nanotubes because materials made from them can have a range of useful properties. (Furthermore) the carbon in nanotubes is biocompatible, meaning the bodys immune system does not recognize it as a foreign object. In the future this will help to create sensors wired to a persons nervous system allowing information to flow back and forth to the brain, said Ivanov. The team is working on a patch of skin with a surface that resists water and can sense changes in temperature and pressure. The water-resistant top layer will be made from a specially designed nano-structured material. It starts with tiny particles of sand, each one textured to amplify the effect of surface tension, naturally repelling water. Such particles could be sprinkled like powder onto polymenrs and then bonded to the surface with heat, for example.

March - April 2008

BiotechBULLETIN

Suven Life in talks with US co for drug discovery

TARGETS 25 COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS BY 2010

BUSINESS LINE 29 February 2008 Suven Life Sciences Ltd. will be entering into a collaborative research pact for drug discovery with a US-based pharma major soon. The Hyderabad-based company has almost finalised the pact for joint research in central nervous system (CNS) segment, Mr Venkat Jasti, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Suven Life Sciences, told Business Line, while not disclosing the name. In addition, we are currently in talks with three more big players in the US for collaboration which are likely to be firmed up soon, Mr Jasti said. The company is at present collaborating with Eli Lilly on pre-clinical research of molecules in the therapeutic

area of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The collaborative projects in the offing would yield long-term results. There will be long term growth as they fund the project, pay certain fee to suven upon discovery which would be followed by royalty on global sales of the product later, he explained. The discovery pipeline of the Rs 114crore company (2006-07) includes a compound on Alzheimers which will be entering clinical trials in March, two on schizophrenia (in toxicology studies) and six in various phases of pre-clinical development. As a full-pledged biopharmaceutical company, we will be focusing more on discovery research through collaborative and in-house research. By 2010, we will

have 25 collaborative research projects in association with global majors, Mr. Jasti said. R&D CENTRE The company is in the process of setting up a greenfield R&D center near Hyderabad with $30 million which will be operational by 2010. The number of scientists would also be doubled to 500 over next two years. Various options including equity dilution are being considered to raise $30 million. We are, however, in no hurry as we need funds over a period of time, he added. Suven had filed 29 product patents and nine process patents so far out of which five had been granted. We are expecting more patents soon, Mr. Jasti said.

Biocon picks up majority stake up AxiCorp

BUSINESS STANDARD 20 February 2008 Indias premier biotechnology company Biocon has achieved a major breakthrough in Europe by acquiring a majority stake in AxiCorp Pharmaceuticals, a leading German company. Disclosing the deal at a joint news conference of the two companies in Frankfurt today, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the founder and managing director of Biocon, said that her company bought a 70 per cent stake in the company for 30 million. The acquisition heralds our foray into the European market, she said. She left the issue for further stake increase open. The company is located near Frankfurt and specialises in

manufacturing and marketing a unique range of its own patent-free medicines as well as low-cost drugs from the European Union nations. We will make the necessary investments in the future to achieve our goal of covering the European market, she said. The acquisition marked an important step towards Biocons goal of becoming a global company. Indias most successful women entrepreneur said the two making available medicines at an affordable price and strengthening national health systems. This can be achieved in Europe by uniting costeffective research and development of
March - April 2008

Biocon and efficient management and marketing of AxiCorp, she felt.

AxiCorp has expanded dynamically since it was founded five years ago and made a name internationally within a few years as a provider of low-cost medicines. It has the potential to join the leading names in the area, Mazumdar-Shah said. We welcome AxiCorp as an autonomous company in the Biocon group of companies, she said. She was convinced that Biocons partnership with AxiCorp will enable her company costefficient production and marketing of a range of original medicines in Europe. Initially, the two companies will focus on

biosimilars, patent-free pharmaceuticals which are produced with the same biotechnologically created substance and have the same effect as the original product. Biocon has developed a strategy to produce high quality and low-cost biosimilars such as human insulin and has become a world leader in this area, Mazumdar-Shaw said. If Biocon gets the approval of national and EU health authorities for human insulin, its sale could begin within the next 12-18 months. In 2004, AstraZeneca had roped in Cognizant for its businesses in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Cognizants healthcare and life sciences division has been finding a place in the Healthcare Informatics Top 100 list since the last three years. The division provides domain aligned consulting, business process and analytics solutions and employs over 10,000 professionals, including doctors, pharmacologists, biomedical engineers, pharmacists, biostatisticians, medical writers and GxP consultants. Cognizant employs over 55,000 people in 35 delivery centres globally. cost about $50 million. Apart from the CRO space, RLS is weighing the option of buying out a biotech drug manufacturing facility in the US. The buyout would boost RLS clinical trial activities in Europe, especially trials of its own biogeneric drugs. Aiming to enter the global biogenerics market, the

Cognizant signs 5-yr pact with AstraZeneca

BUSINESS STANDARD 11 March 2008 IT and outsourcing services provider Cognizant Technologies has signed a fiveyear agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to support delivery of clinical data management services. The tie-up eyes $95 million revenues, Cognizant said. Under the agreement, Cognizant will provide centralized clinical data management services, including data management planning, clinical studies, medical coding, adverse event reconciliation and training for AstraZenecas global clinical development programmes. AstraZeneca will use these services to improve its R&D efficiencies.

Reliance Life plans European buyout

MUKESH FIRM ZEROES IN ON TWO CROs; ALSO EYES US BIOTECH COMPANY

FINANCIAL EXPRESS 10 March 2008 Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Life Sciences (RLS) is betting big on contract research, with plans for acquiring a contract research organisation (CRO) in Europe. The company, which is in talks with two prominent CROs in western Europe, is expected to close a deal within two months. The deal could

Esopos for RComm Staff

Reliance Communications, of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, on Sunday announced an employee stock options scheme for 20,000 employees of the company and its subsidiaries. The company claims the scheme would be the largest in the Indian telecom sector.

March - April 2008

BiotechBULLETIN
company is conducting clinical trials of erythropoietin and granulocyte colony stimulating factor in Poland. The products could be launched next year in Europe. Currently, RLS has subsidiary in the contract research sector, Reliance Clinical Research Services with global headquarters in Pennsylvania and facilities in Chicago, Bangalore and Navi Mumbai. KV Subramaniam, president & CEO, Reliance Life Sciences, told FE , The CRO buyout will be beneficial for us in two ways. It could be used for our own biogenerics development as well as conducting trials for other firms in the Europe. The final stages of negotiations are on and we wanted to close the deal as early as possible. Meanwhile, RLS is considering various options as part of its entry into the US generics market, including acquiring an existing manufacturing facility for manufacturing biogenerics for the US. Earlier, RLS had acquired 74% in the UKbased biotech firm, GeneMedix. We are considering various options for entering the US biogenerics market. But there are no immediate plans as uncertainty remains in the US regulations for biogenerics manufacturing, he said. Last year, RLS had partnered with the US-based global investment management firm MPM Capital LP, by investing in its BioVentures IV fund. independent vehicle that better aligns assets with priorities to accelerate the companys drug discovery progrmmes. The resulting operational freedom and flexibility will also help to open up new growth opportunities while providing a platform for increased collaboration, the company said in a statement. Mr Malvinder Mohan Singh, CEO and Managing Director, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., said, The demerger of our NDDR Unit into a separate entity establishes a robust structure to carry out path breaking research at the cutting edge of modern medicine. It will also enable RLSRL to create intellectual property at a faster pace while positioning it for the future. Ranbaxy has subscribed to redeemable preference shares of RLSRL aggregating Rs. 200 crore, to meet its business needs. Post de-merger, the equity capital of RLSRL will be Rs 12.6 crore. Ranbaxy and RLSRL Employees Welfare Fund Trust will respectively hold 19.8 per cent and 4.9 percent of the equity share capital of RLSRL. The balance will be held by the shareholders of Ranbaxy. It is proposed that equity shares of RLSRL will be listed on the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange while GDRs will be listed at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. All approvals required for the scheme to come into effect, including that of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, are expected in the second half of 2008.
March - April 2008

Ranbaxy board okays de-merger of R&D unit

SWAP RATIO AT 4:1; NEW ENTITY CALLED RANBAXY LIFE SCIENCE RESEARCH

BUSINESS LINE 20 February 2008 Pharmaceutical major Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. said that its board has approved the hiving off of its research and development unit New Drug Discovery Research (NDDR) into a new subsidiary called Ranbaxy Life Science Research Ltd. (RLSRL). As per the de-merger scheme shareholders will get one share of the new entity for every four shares held by them at present. The company said that the spin off will result in cost savings of about $25 million in the current year. According to market analysts the move is a two-pronged strategy. First, to provide financial resources to enhance R&D initiatives and bring in strategic investors who understand the business. And second to increase the shareholder value by improving the overall profitability by hiving off the resources consuming R&D. Telecom companies are also following a similar strategy by

hiving off their tower infrastructure into new subsidiaries. Ranbaxy said that this was a significant step in creating an independent pathway for its R&D unit with dedicated resources and an enhanced focus for long-term growth. Ranbaxy has modern research infrastructure and a highly skilled scientific talent pool. These strengths can be more effectively leveraged through an

The de-merger of our NDDR Unit into a separate entity establishes a robust structure to carry out path breaking research. Mr. Malvinder Singh.

Pfizer focuses on emerging markets expansion

PLANS TO SPEED UP LAUNCH OF NEW DRUGS

BUSINESS LINE 7 March 2008 Pfizer Inc said it aims to expand in emerging markets and speed the pace of launching new drugs to offset looming generic competition for its $12 billiona-year Lipitor cholesterol fighter. The worlds largest drugmaker also said during a meeting with analysts that it will establish a new business unit focusing on cancer drugs and aims to significantly boost the number of drugs in late-stage trials by late next year. Pfizer plans to expand operations in China from the 110 cities it now serves to more than 650 cities, the company said in a release. It also plans to broaden its reach in Latin America and Eastern Europe. Overseas markets, however, are far less lucrative than the US, which has no strict government price controls and allows drugmakers to widely advertise their products on television and other media. Pfizer in the past year has cut more

than 10,000 jobs and is paring other costs to keep earnings growing amid generic competition in the US for antidepressant Zoloft, blood pressure treatment Norvasc and its Zyrtec antihistamine. LIPITOR PATENT Most importantly, the company is bracing for the US patent expiration, possibly by 2010, for Lipitor. The company badly needs new products to offset expected plunging sales of the worlds top-selling prescription medicine. We will do what we need to do to size the company appropriately, the Pfizer Chief Executive, Mr Jeff Kindler, told hundreds of analysts and money managers gathered at the New York meeting. Although investors have lauded Pfizers cost-cutting, they have been disappointed that the company has launched only a few big-selling new medicines in recent years despite its $7 billion annual research budget.

We know we havent been productive enough over the last few years, said Mr. Martin Mackay, Pfizers research chief. Moreover, two of those successful new products-Chantix to help smokers kick the habit and its Sutent kidney cancer drug-have raised safety concerns that could limit their long-term sales potential. REGULATORY APPROVALS Pfizer said it aims to seek 15-20 regulatory approvals between 2010 and 2012. A company spokeswoman said about two-thirds of the submissions would involve new products, while the remainder would involve new uses of existing medicines. The company expects to have as many as 28 drugs in late-stage trials by late 2009, including a medicine called CP-751871 for a number of cancer types and a drug with potential to treat rheumatoid arthritis, transplant rejection and asthma. It also said cited high hopes for its array of pain medications and a diabetes treatment called PF-734200. Shares of the company are at a 10year low, and down 54 per cent from their peak in the $48 range in early 1999 despite the companys industry-topping stock dividend. Pfizer said it expects revenue this year of $47-49 billion, or as much as 3.2 per cent lower than in 2007. Even so, because of aggressive cost cuts, Pfizer affirmed that it expects fullyear 2008 earnings of $2.35-2.45 a share, reflecting growth of up to 11.3 per cent from 2007 results.

COMBATING GENERICS Pfizer proposes to expand operations in China. It also plants to broaden its reach in Latin America, Eastern Europe. It is bracing for the US patent expiration, possibly by 2010, for Lipitor

Nicholas research unit ties up with Dept of Biotechnology

HINDU, BUSINESS LINE 23 February 2008 NPIL Research and Development Ltd. (NRDL) has signed a drug discovery related agreement with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to screen biomolecules from the microbial diversity collected from different ecological niches. NRDL is the demerged research entity of drug-maker Nicholas Piramal India Ltd. The public-private partnership involves nine institutes, with NRDL as the industrial partner. The project

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BiotechBULLETIN
envisages a mega-scale screening programme for various environmental isolates. The focus of the project would be to screen for possible anti-cancer, anti-infective, anti-diabetes and antiinflammation properties. PROJECT DETAILS The total cost of the project is approximately Rs. 25 crore, with Rs. 18 crore being contributed by the DBT and Rs. 7 crore coming from NRDL. The participating institutes include: Nagpurs National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Punes National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Delhis Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) and University of Delhi, South Campus (UDSC), Bhubaneshwars Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Chennais MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Amritsars Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Imphals Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) and Panjims National Institute of Oceanography (NIO). This is the first project in the country in which industry and academia will work together to screen such a large number of bacterial isolates, the company said. Different academic institutes will isolate organisms specific to diverse ecological niches. For each sample, isolation of bacteria will be carried out on 30 different growth media. This multi-institutional effort with generate approximately 7,000 isolates per month (1,000/institute), which will be sent to NRDL, Each of these institutes is an expert in niche areas of microbial biodiversity. The microbial isolates have not been tested for potent medicinal properties, if any. The purpose of this study is to exploit the biodiversity of microbes. This will help in identifying specific therapeutic properties that may be further used to identify novel molecules, which may then be passed on to the drug development phase, a note from the company said. BANK OF LEADS At NRDLs facility at Goregaon in Mumbai, scientists would screen the samples for potential leads that could be developed into drugs. Natural diversity appears to be a novel source for new drugs world-wide, the note said. The company hopes to create a bank of novel leads with specific potential that will aid in drug discovery. The project will lead to the selection of potential drug candidate molecules, that can be taken to process scale-up strategies with appropriate partners. The credit-sharing in this project has been mutually worked out, the note said. NPIL shares were marginally down on the BSE at Rs. 282.80

Drug discovery pact: The Minister for Science and Technology and Technology, Mr. Kapil Sibal, with Ms Swati A. Piramal, Director, Nicholas Piramal India Ltd. addressing a press conference, in the Capital on Friday

ICGEB enters into an agreement with Emory University

BIOSPECTRUM 7 February 2008 The Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA, and ICGEB have entered in an agreement to collaborate and initiate a joint ICGEB- Emory vaccine center, dedicated to vaccine research, focused on infectious diseases like HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis C. The joint

ICGEB-Emory vaccine center was inaugurated on January 14 by Kapil Sibal, the minister for science and technology and earth sciences. Kapil Sibal While Emory University will provide the funding for supporting scientific staff and other related expenses, and ICGEB will provide space, infrastructure and
March - April 2008

scientific expertise in vaccinology that already exists at the center. Stressing on the need for bridging the gap between the development and the reach of the vaccine to those who need it, the minister said, We are at one end

of the spectrum. We can develop a vaccine but how do we ensure that it reaches those who need it? We need to see if we have delivery mechanisms and manufacturing capabilities for the same. So vaccine development is the beginning

of the solution. Its not the end of the solution. The developing world must recognize that. We need to put other systems in place, because in the absence of that, those who need the vaccines are not going to get them.

Nerve tissue created in lab

IT COULD BE USED TO REPAIR DAMAGES IN NERVOUS SYSTEM

TIMES OF INDIA 28 February, 2008 Scientists have created the first engineered living human nervous tissue constructs which they claim could be used for transplants to repair damage to the nervous system. We have created a threedimensional neural network, a mininervous system in culture, which can be transplanted en masse, according to lead researcher professor Douglas H Smith of the University of Pennsylvania. The team obtained human dorsal root ganglia neurons (clusters of nerves just outside the spinal cord) to engineer into transplantable nervous tissue. The neurons were harvested from 16 patients following elective ganglionectomies and four thoracic neurons were harvested from organ donors. Subsequently, the neurons were purified and placed in a specially designed growth chamber. Using the stretch growth technique, the axons were slowly pulled

We have created a three-dimensional neural network, a mininervous system in culture, which can be transplanted en masse -Douglas H Smith I Lead Researcher
in opposite directions over a series of days until they reached a desired length. The neurons survived at least three months in culture while maintaining the ability to generate action potentials, the electrical signals transmitted along nerve fibres. The team found that the axons grew at about one millimetre per day to a length of one centimetre. This is study demonstrates the promise of adult neurons as an alternative transplant material due to their viability, availability and capacity to be engineered. Weve also shown the feasibility of obtaining neurons from living patients as a source of neurons for autologous, or self, transplant as well as from organ donors for allografts, Smith was quoted by the Science Daily as saying. The results of their study have been reported in the latest edition of the Journal of Neurosurgery. In their previous work on rodents, the group had showed that they could induce tracts of nerve fibres called axons to grow in response to mechanical tension.

First Chikungunya animal model created in France

TIMES OF INDIA 21 February 2008 Researchers have developed the first animal model of the infection caused by

chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an emerging arbovirus associated with large-scale epidemics that hit the Indian Ocean, seriously affecting the French Island of La Reunion in 2005, before spreading to India, and Italy in 2007. Using a mouse model, scientists of the Pasteur Institute

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and INSERM in France determined which tissues and cells are infected by the virus in both the mild and severe forms of the disease. They document their findings in an article published in the latest issue of the US online open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. With the model, the researchers show how after an initial phase of viral replication in the liver, the infection extends to the joints, muscles and skin where the symptoms materialize in humans.

Forget the pills: Now, a vaccine will control BP

TIMES OF INDIA 8 March 2008 Researchers have developed a vaccine which they claim would soon replace the need for taking pills to control high blood pressure. The researchers at the Swiss biotechnology firm Cytos have carried out humans trials of the injection and found that the vaccine against a hormone in the blood significantly cuts hypertension with few side effects. According to lead researchers Dr Martin Bachmann, the vaccine could offer a much more simple way of controlling blood pressure and could be administered during regular visits to the doctors. The trial formula aims at priming antibodies the front line in the bodys immune system against angiotensin II, a protein hormone notorious for causing blood vessels to constrict and thus raise blood pressure. Drugs already exist which successfully tackle angiotensin II hypertension. But these can also have side effects and patients may be haphazard about taking them regularly. The researchers have tested the jab on 72 patients with high blood pressure they found that it works without any serious side-effects during a 14 week trial. The injections were given at the start, and after four weeks and 12 weeks enough to give a patient four months resistance. Neither dose significantly lowered blood pressure at night. But during the day the larger dose significantly lowered blood pressure, especially during the late morning peak when blood pressure is known to increase. And, importantly, the vaccine did not have any serious side-effects with the worst being mild flu-like symptoms. However, they said that the findings were promising but large-scale trials were now needed. Such a regimen is likely to promote adherence to treatment, but will need to be supported by clinical data, the BBC News portal quoted Bachmann as saying. The vaccine, called AngQb, was tested by its maker, Swiss pharmaceuticals firm Cytos Biotechnology AG, although the results were assessed independently. To gain a license, the vaccine will have to undergo two far larger trials to access it for safety and efficacy.

Virus for new brain cancer treatment:

TIMES OF INDIA 21 February 2008 Researchers conducting a study on mice have discovered a specialized virus with the ability to reproduce its tumour-killing genes that selectively targets and eradicates cancers in the brain, leaving healthy brain-tissue virtually untouched. These finding has the boffins excited as it could lead to a novel treatment for brain cancer in humans. The study was led by senior author Anthony van den Pol at Yale University School of Medicine, who spent six years of basic research into the fundamental processes of viruses and the cells they target.

Stem cell transplants help rats recover limb function after stroke
TIMES OF INDIA 21 February 2008 Transplanting brain cells produced from human embryonic stem cells helped fix stroke damage in the brains of rats, according to scientists who hope to test the same thing in people within about five years. Researchers have been looking for ways to repair the brain damage from a stroke, which can cause permanent

disability. In a study, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in California reported that treatment involving human embryonic stem cells may be a solution. Embryonic stem cells are the master cells that give rise to every cell and tissue in the body. The Stanford team reported they restored lost limb function in rats that had stroke-related brain damage. They induced human embryonic stem
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cells to develop into neural stem cells that, once transplanted in the rats, developed into neurons and two other important types of brain cells. The researchers hope to use this approach within about five years in studies involving people who have had strokes. We have a lot of evidence that well be able to use this kind of stem cell

regenerative therapy in patients, including stroke patients, Stanfords Dr Gary Steinberg, who helped lead the study, said. Writing in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE, Steinbergs team described how they caused strokes in 10 rats and then transplanted neural stem cells into their brains. The cells made their way to the

damaged brain region and incorporated themselves into surrounding brain tissue. The cells never grew uncontrollably into tumors in lab dishes or inside the rats, the scientists said. The transplanted cells helped repair the stroke damage and enabled the rats to recover lost function in front legs weakened as a result of the stroke, they added. experience in the development of biologics (biotech drugs) from cell line generation, upstream process development and for scaling up manufacturing to global standards. Samaresh Parida, chief operating officer of Avesthagen, said the company would approach capital markets by the last quarter of 2008 with an initial public offering (IPO) to fund its expansion plans. Avesthagen today launched seven new botanical bioactives under the Avesta brand, aimed to promote wellness through prevention of specific degenerative conditions such as diabetes, bone loss and cardiovascular diseases. The products will be available as dietary supplements, careal bars and crackers. Avesthagen uses two of its patented technologies, Adept and MetaGrid, to develop bioactives, which can be used in various food products. The products include Aspand, and Teestar brands to control blood sugar, Cincata to maintain blood glucose levels, Bonapure for promoting bone growth, Phytosse for inhibiting cartilage degradation, Smartchol to control cholesterol levels and Xanomax with antioxidant (substances that protect cells against the effects of free radicals) properties. The company will market the products through the outlets of its health food arm-Good Earth, which it acquired two years ago, and through pharmacies. Avesthagen also plans to launch the product in the international markets and conducts human trials to prove the efficacy of the product, said company sources.

Avestha Cipla JV lines up Rs 600 cr for biotech units

BUSINESS STANDARD 22 February 2008 Avesta Biotherapeutics and Research (ABRPL), the 50:50 joint venture between the Cipla Group company Meditab Specialities and Bangalorebased Avestha Gengraine Technologies (Avesthagen), plants to invest Rs 600 crore to create manufacturing facilities at Bangalore and Hyderabad in three phases to manufacture biotech drugs. The four-year-old joint venture to develop bio-pharmaceuticals in developing 11 biotech drugs, mainly cancer drugs. These include biosimilars for cancer (copycat versions of existing biotech drugs) which are not currently available in the market. ABRPL hopes to launch the first product by 2009 end, Villoo Morawala Patell, chairman and managing director, Avesthagen, told Business Standard. We are setting up a Rs 150-crore 200 litre manufacturing facility at Bangalore to be commissioned by June. Another facility in Bangalore will take off within 2-3 years with a capacity of about 2,500 litre at an investment of Rs 300 crore, she said today on the sidelines of a press meet in Mumbai to launch seven new preventive healthcare food supplements. ABRPL is also planning to set up a larger facility of about 5,000 litre capacity at Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park at Hyderabad in the third phase. We have received the pre-clinical approval from the review committee on genetic manipulation of the Department of Biotechnology for the first product and it will move to the clinical trial stage, added Patell. Both Cipla and Avesthagen would share the expenditure as per the joint venture agreement, she said. A few months ago, ABPRL had acquired Siegfried Biologics GmbH, a 10year-old company based in Berlin with

ABRPL is also planning to set up a larger facility of about 5,000 litre capacity at Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park at Hyderabad in the third phase

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Now, a carrot for osteoporosis

BIOSPECTRUM (Vol. 6: Issue 2) Genetically modified (GM) carrots express increased levels of a gene that enables the transport of calcium across membranes of plant cells making the vegetable a better source of calcium, said researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston and the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University. Slightly altering the gene, sCAX1, to make it a more active transporter allows for increased bioavailable calcium in the carrots, said Dr Kendal Hirschi, professor of pediatrics nutrition and principal investigator of the study conducted at the USDA/ARS Childrens Nutrition Research Center at BCM in cooperation with Texas Childrens Hospital. In an initial study in mice, researchers found that those who were fed the carrots with the altered gene could get the same amount of calcium as those who ate twice the amount of normal carrots. In a study in 30 human adults, those whose ate the modified carrots absorbed

41 percent more calcium than those who ate the unmodified carrots. These carrots were grown in carefully monitored and controlled environments, said Dr Hirschi. Much more research needs to be conducted before this would be available to consumers. Dr Hirschi emphasized that there is no magic food that will solve all nutritional problems, and that proper food and exercise are still necessary. However, further developments in this area of research could allow for more nutrients in fruits and vegetables and lead to improved health. Osteoporosis, one of the worlds most prevalent nutritional disorders, is a disease that reduces bone mineral density in the body. has succeeded in developing a novel nanotechnology based Gene Repair Therapy (GRT) that can revolutionise treatments for various chronic diseases such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes etc. Apart from curing diseases, it can also help in reversing the ageing process. Named as Mitsanika, the new GRT therapy activates dead or inactives genes in human body by using water as a medium to absorb the required

Virtus develops GRT to cure chronic diseases

BUSINESS STANDARD 24 February, 2008 A research collaboration of Virtus Techno Innovations, a research and development company associated with Mumbai-based Khandelwal Laboratories, Reliance Life Sciences and SRL Ranbaxy,

THE PANACEA IS HERE: GENE REPAIR THERAPY

The age-old conflict between man and virus has got a bit tilted in favour of the former with the discovery of a novel Gene Repair Therapy How it works: Mitsanika, as it is called, activates dead or inactive genes in human body by using water as a medium to absorb the required minerals and metals that can rejuvenate and activate dormant genes. What all it can cure: The therapy is claimed to revolutionise treatments for AIDS, cancer, diabetes etc. It can also help in reversing the ageing process. Therapy with: While prevalent gene repair is confined to taking out inactive genes, treating it externally and implanting it again to cure diseases, GRT is based on natural ways of healing by metals and minerals. Clinical trial: Following the US Food and Drug Administration protocol, the process is being tried on 740 patients in Mumbai and Pune with amazing results. Miracle makers: A team of 20 scientists, led by Virtus Techno Innovations CEO Dr V K Tripathi, worked for over 11 years to deliver the panacea. Our method is based on the natural process and it is totally inexpensive, except for the cost of easily available, cheap minerals
Dr V K Tripath (CEO, Virtus Techno Innovations)

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minerals and metals that can rejuvenate and activate the genes. The breakthrough was achieved through mimicking the experience of the fetus while floating in the amniotic fluid, said Dr V K Tripathi, chief executive officer of Virtus, who heads a team of 20 scientists who did the research on GRT for over 11 years. At present research success in gene repair is confined only to taking out inactive genes and treating it externally

and implanting it again to cure diseases. This is available only in the west and costs at least Rs 20 crore per patient, said Tripathi. The process has been applied for patenting in India, the US and a couple of other countries. The human body has around 90,000 various genes dormant under the skin. More than 90 per cent of the genes are inactivated after the age of 25, resulting in ageing and disease

due to lack of essential 82 minerals (seasalts), fatty acids (omega 6 and 9), glucose and fructose. There are no medicines or supplement used in GRT therapy, which is done in consultation with the doctor of the patient. In this simple treatment method, the patient has to be in a temperature and Phvalue-controlled bathtub for one hour daily with all the deficit minerals and fatty acids, elaborated the scientists.

GM crops key to food selfsufficiency

BUSINESS STANDARD 26 February, 2008 The country, which recorded the fastest growth in genetically modified (GM) crop adoption globally, could attain food selfsufficiency once it allows commercialization of GM crops, the head of a global research body said. India can become self-sufficient in food production by use of biotechnology in food crops, Clive James, chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, told Reuters in an interview. The country, with a short-age in wheat, edible oils and a tight supply in rice, has a Rs 25,000 crore food security

mission, aimed at producing an additional 8 million tonnes of wheat, 10 million tonnes of rice and 2 million tonnes of pulses in four years. India, the worlds second biggest wheat producer, brought 5.5 million tonnes of the grain in 2006 and 1.8 million tonnes last year, igniting global commodity markets. It is the worlds second biggest importer of edible oils to meet over 40 per cent of its demand. It banned nonbasmati rice exports to meet domestic need, after 2007-08 summer output was seen stagnant. The story of Bt cotton in India is remarkable it can replicate the success in food crops, said James. The country surpassed the US to become the second biggest producer of cotton in 2006-07, after adopting GM crops. The area under GM cotton is

estimated at 6.33 million hectares or 66 per cent of the total cotton area in 2007-08, up from 3.69 million hectares in 2006-07, according to Cotton Advisory Board. India allowed commercial cultivation of bacillus thuringiensis or Bt cotton, the countrys first GM crop in 2002, leading to protests from activists, who say GM crops are a health hazard. This delayed approval of GM food crops. The countrys first expected GM food crop is brinjal. Field trials of GM brinjal started in August 2007 and is expected to be commercialized by 2009, said CD Mayee, a senior scientists, and chairman Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board. Among food crops, the big opportunity is in rice, said James. India, second largest rice producer, is field testing GM rice, and expects commercialization by 2011, Mayee said.

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Farmers bask in BT cotton comfort

HINDUSTAN TIMES 20 February, 2008
BT COTTON has spun Aakkapalli

2006-07. Now India has turned from a net importer to a major global exporter of cotton 4.7 million bales of cotton was exported in 2005-06 as compared to 0.92 million the previous year.

Ramadevis fortunes around. The Andhra farmer can now send her children to school. The family, including the children, used to work as daily wagers till Ramadevi decided to plant BT Cotton in her fields. Her luck changed and the profits rolled in their monthly income increased by Rs 500-600; and the annual, by Rs. 10,000-15,000. I dont need my children to work any more to sustain my family. What I earn is enough to educate them, she says. Ramadevis is one of the countless small farmer families in India who have gained from the biotech crop revolution, which was criticized by NGOs over safety and long term implications of Genetically Modified crops. Cotton impacts the life of 60 million people in India, including farmers and legion of workers, said Clive James chairman of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, a not-for-profit biotech organization. The organization estimated that between 2004 and 2005, the number of farmers growing BT cotton increased from three lakh to one million. The figure in 2007 rose to 3.8 million. Maharashtra saw the maximum increase followed by Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The result is that India has more land under BT Cotton than even China. It reported the highest proportional increase of any biotech crop country in the world for the third consecutive year, showing an impressive gain of 63 per cent in 2007. Overall, the total accumulated hectarage under biotech cultivation also witnessed a double-digit growth (12 per

cent) for the 12th consecutive year in 2007, exceeding two thirds of a billion hectares. Its high productivity earned India the top post in the worlds cotton producing nation, James said. More BT Cotton has also improved Indias per hectare cotton production record from 308 Kg per hectare in 2001-02 to 520 Kg in

The organization reports that GM crops have become the fastest adopted crop technology in recent history and delivered unprecedented benefits in many of the 23 countries planting them particularly India. So while NGOs claim BT Cotton has driven farmers to suicide, the Environment Ministry bills it a success.
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Canada to help set up next gen bio-fuel projects

FINANCIAL EXPRESS 21 February, 2008 Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) roped in Saskatchewan University in Canada for advanced researches in second generation technologies for bio-fuels. IARI director, SA Patil said, Agri residues such as bagasse, wheat straw, sorghum and maize starws, leaf litter and various other plant biomass, which have not been adequately utilized for energy production, provide ample opportunities for use as bio-fuels. Conversion of biomass to clean energy such as hydrogen, ethanol and biogas offer promising solutions. We have entered into an agreement with the Saskatchewan University in Canada for four specific projects on bio-fuels. One project is for conversion of biomass to ethanol using different technologies like acid hydrolysis and super critical carbon dioxide to produce fermentable sugars, which will be converted to ethanol via fermentation. Another project is production of bio-diesel from Jatropha and other tree bearing oils (TBOs) using ultra

One project is for conversion of biomass to ethanol using different technologies like acid hydrolysis and super critical carbon dioxide to produce fermentable sugars, which will be converted to ethanol via fermentation

sound technology. Other two projects for conversion of waste biomass to biogas and biofertilisers and for biomass conversion to hydrogen through super critical water process. The dean in the college of engineering in the Saskatchewan University, Janusz Nozinski said, Saskatchewan province is a leader in production of peas and lentils. We also export to India. Chickpea in India and Canada face among other Stresses, the disease of Ascochyta blight. We have signed and agreement for collaborative research on identification and development of molecular markers linked to Ascochyta blight resistance. Breeding of chickpeas for resistance with mutually shared breeding populations for multi-region, multi-race based disease screening and phenotyping will be taken up along with identification and charcterisation of races and resistances in the germplasm. The joint collaboration would also aim at researches in plant genomics (SNP markers for diagnostic and molecular breeding), development of transgenic crops resistant to abiotic stresses and QTL identification. the university with approval from the Department of Biotechnology and the Genetic Engineering and Approval Committee (GEAC) with specified biosafety norms. Research is monitored Being a public research body, TNAUs research on GM crops is meant to benefit farmers, consumers and the society at large. The research is being undertaken as a network project by involving many universities and research centers and is closely monitored by agencies of the Government of India, it added. Condemning Fridays incidents, the university said the demonstrators, claiming to be members of the Erode Organic Farmers Collective and Pasumai Thaayagam, damaged plants at the brinjal

Bt brinjal trials have GEAC approval: TNAU

BUSINESS LINE 24 February, 2008 A day after a group of environmentalists protesting Tamilnadu Agricultural Universitys (TNAU) field trials of genetically modified (GM) brinjal by storming into its research farm here, the university said demonstrators violated TNAUs rights and also the Government of India regulations. The university authorities said they have lodged a police complaint. The university registrar, Dr P Santhana Krishnan, in a statement maintained that the GM crop trials were being held by

The network project is closely monitored by agencies of the Government of India

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research plot. The group was also charged with defacing the universitys name board and the display boards at the research plots, besides misguiding a team of media persons brought to the site with unscientific information and wrong facts about the GM research trials conducted by the TNAU. Against GM Crops More that 100 activists of the Erode Organic Farmers Collective, led by its leader Mr Selvam, and members of Pasumai Thaayagam, the environmental outfit of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), marched to TNAUs GM crops trial farm and staged a demonstration against the crop trials. They criticised the university for allowing itself to be converted into the property of Monsanto, the US life science company promoting GM crops in India. The members of these outfits alleged that once the trials were completed, it would pave way for the first GM food crop to be sold in the market whose consumption would have adverse impact on the health of human beings and animals. Millions to Feed TNAU maintained that the Supreme Court, which has recently allowed GM crop research to continue, has in its observation maintained that the mere fear that GM food crop could spell hazard for the biosafety/ environment could not be a ground to restrict the research in a country like India which has millions to feed. augment the financial resources of IARI considerably and encourage them to enter into similar arrangement for other crops/ technologies in realization of the full potential of public-private partnership in India. The IFSSA is a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative to bring together public sector crop researchers, private seed industry, seed growers and Indian farming communities to make available quality seeds and services to farmers. IFSSA hopes to fill the gaps with public sector agencies which have been developing promising hybrids but could not popularize and market them, resulting in poor adoption. The core objectives of IFSSA are to link public-private seed sectors, provide value added services to seed industry which includes maintenance breeding, breeder and foundation seed multiplication and distribution, variety fingerprinting, seed purity tests and marker assisted breeding programs. The Barwale Foundation (BF) and IFSSA have already entered into a MoU with Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi for promoting Pusa RH-10, the countrys first Basmati rice hybrid. IFSSA have been maintaining and producing the quality seeds of its parental lines (Pusa 6A and PRR 78) with trained seed growers by paying premium procurement price, for distribution to seedmen who would further produce quality seeds of Pusa RH-10 for marketing.
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Public private partnership on Indias first Basmati rice hybrid

BIOSPECTRUM 7 February, 2008 Dr B R Barwale, chairman of the Barwale Foundation and winner of World Food Prize 1998, handed over royalty payment of Rs 20.26 lakh to Dr S A Patil, director, IARI in the presence of union agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar. The payment was made on behalf of the Barwale Foundation and the India Foundation of Seed and Services Association (IFSSA) for making available high quality foundation seeds of Pusa RH-10, the first Basmati rice hybrid in the country, to the seedsmen. The royalty payment will

Dr B R Barwale, chairman, Barwale Foundation, hands over royalty payment of Rs 20.26 lakh to Dr S A Patil, director, IARI, for efficient quality seed production under public-private initiative

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How plants protect themselves?

BIOSPECTRUM (Vol. 6: Issue 2) Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research have identified a crucial player in the defense network that allows plants to respond to pathogens. The findings, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, open a door for plant breeders to develop plants with better resistance to pathogens. Under normal circumstances, plants have a large number of resistance proteins, also known as R proteins, to respond to an attack by a pathogen. These proteins initiate such defense

responses as releasing defense-signaling hormones and killing-off cells surrounding an infection, which then keeps a pathogen from spreading. However, the researchers identified mutant Arabidopsis plants did not trigger a normal cell death response to attack by pathogens. A close look at one of these plants revealed a mutation in a gene for an ATPase, an enzyme that is known to harness energy produced in cells to drive other chemical reactions. The researchers then discovered that this ATPase, called CRT1, interacts with and may mediate defense responses initiated by three different R proteins.

Gene mutations may increase lifespan

TIMES OF INDIA 6 March, 2008 Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have revealed that genetic mutations in cell-signalling pathway may boost human lifespan. The team examined the genes involved in the activity of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), a hormone that is regulated by the human growth hormone. The study conducted using the animal model showed that mutations in genes involved in the pathway restricted growth but also increased life spans.

In a first, whole organs grown from stem cells

TIMES OF INDIA 13 March, 2008 Researchers at the University of Tokyo said that they have succeeded in generating kidneys and pancreases in mice that had been reprogrammed to grow without

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such organs, by injecting embryonic stem cells from healthy mice into fertilized eggs. The outcome of the research at the universitys Institute of Medical Science raises hopes for producing human organs from stem cells,in addition to the nerve cells and cardiac muscles already possible. A potential application of this

technique in the future includes reproducing in reprogrammed swine the pancreas of a diabetic patient using stem cells produced from the patients skin tissue, they said. The researchers injected embryonic stem cells from healthy mice into eggs of genetically engineered mice that do not grow kidneys and pancreases three days

after fertilization and implanted the eggs into surrogate mice. The newborn mice turned out to have kidneys and pancreases and the researchers confirmed that they derived from the embryonic stem cells while vascular tracts and nerves were those of the host mice. Both types of organs functioned normally, the researchers said.

Anti-ageing substances found in bullfrogs

BUSINESS LINE 28 February, 2008 While it only turns into a handsome prince in fairy tales, the homely bullfrog may harbour a valuable anti-ageing substance for humans, South Korean researchers say. A team led by Professor Kim Se-kwon of Pukyong University in Busan says it isolated a peptide with antioxidant properties from bullfrog skin. Because of the properties, the material is useful in removing free radicals molecules that hasten the ageing process of human cells. Alpha-tocopherol, also known as Vitamin E, is traditionally considered as

the most active antioxidant in humans and widely used in medicines and health supplements. But its price keeps rising because of surging world demand. The new substance can provide an economic alternative to tocpherol, Kim told AFP, referring to another antioxidant. The teams discovery was published by Bioresource Technology, an international journal, last year. Because it is water-soluble, the substance may be consumed in much more diverse ways than the oil-soluble tocopherol. You may put it in soft drinks, for example, he said. The newly found material is also 10 per cent more efficient than tocopherol in curbing oxidization, he added.

Genetic breakthrough in HIV fight

ENGINEERED IMMUNE CELLS CAN BE USED TO KILL INFECTED CELLS BEFORE THEY BEGIN SPREAD
TIMES OF INDIA 8 March, 2008 Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine made a breakthrough in fight against HIV by transforming genetically engineered immune cells into potent weapons against the disease. A subgroup of immune cells known as CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes, or CTLs, recognize cells infected with HIV and kill them before they become HIVproducing keeps the infection in check. However, CTLs may not bind tightly enough to the infected cells or

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because HIV mutates so rapidly, the virus subdues the immune system, thus boosting the virus in the absence of drug therapy and resulting in AIDS. Certain of the CTLs of elite controllers may be genetically equipped to bind tightly to HIVinfected cells and destroy them and thereby suppress the infection indefinitely, said Dr Harris Goldstein, senior author of the study and director of the Einstein/Montefiore Centre for AIDS Research. Our idea was first to identify the elite controllers super CTLs and to isolate the genes that enable these cells to bind tightly to HIV-infected cells and kill them efficiently; then we would transfer these genes into CTLs that do not recognize HIV-infected cells and

convert them into potent killers of those cells, he added. CTLs T-cell receptor, which is unique for each CTL has two chains, alpha and beta, the researchers isolated the genes that code for each of the two chains from the potent HIVspecific CTL. The genes were combined and packaged inside a special type of virus, called a lentivirus. The lentiviruses then inserted these genes into the chromosome of naive CTLs obtained from a

naive donors (people not infected with HIV) blood and reprogrammed them into potent HIV-specific CTLs. During the study, the researchers injected mice with both HIV-infected human cells and with reprogrammed naive CTLs into which the HIVrecognizing T-cell receptor genes had been inserted using the lentiviral delivery system. The findings revealed that after one week the infected cells had virtually been eliminated. We demonstrated that these genetically reprogrammed CTLs have very strong activity in terms of killing HIV-infected cells in both test tubes and an animal model, said Goldstein. Researchers believe that the novel strategy could lead to an entirely new approach for combating AIDS and other viral diseases.

Stem cell implants treat diabetes in mice

TIMES OF INDIA 22 February, 2008 Human stem cells transformed into nearly normal insulin-producing cells when implanted into mice, possibly offering a way to treat diabetes longterm, researchers at a US company reported. The researchers used human embryonic stem cells - the most powerful but the most controversial

Researchers claim the finding shows that human embryonic stem cells might fulfill the promise of treating or perhaps even curing diabetes

source of stem cells. Writing in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the team at San Diego, California-based Novocell Inc said their work showed that human embryonic stem cells might fulfill the promise of treating or perhaps even curing diabetes. Our data provide the first compelling evidence that human embryonic stem cells can serve as a renewable source of functional insulinproducing cells for diabetes cells replacement therapies, said Emmanuel Baetge, chief scientific officer of Novocell. At least 170 million people globally have diabetes, with number expected to double by 2030. Five per cent to 10% have type-1 diabetes, caused when the immune syhstem mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. In both types 1 and 2 diabetes, the

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body cannot use insulin properly or make enough of it to regulate glucose in the blood. Patient must monitor their blood sugar and often must take insulin as needed. One hope for human embryonic stem cells is to use them to replace insulinproducing cells. Transplants from cadavers help, but there are nowhere near enough available.

Substance in frog skin may help in treating diabetes

TIMES OF INDIA 4 March, 2008 Is frog the answer to diabetes? Yes, if researchers are to be believed. A joint team of experts from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland and United Arab Emirates University has discovered that a substance on the skin of South American paradoxical frog boosts the production of insulin the vital hormone that is deficient in diabetics. The researchers have made an artificial copy of the peptide, a proteinbuilding block that protects the frog from infection, which they hope to use to

A substance on the skin of South American paradoxical frog boosts the production of insulin - the vital hormone that is deficient in diabetics

produce drugs to treat people with Type2 diabetes, the Times reported. We are at an exciting stage with this research. We have tested a more potent synthetic version of the pseudiin-2 peptide and found that it has the potential for development into a compound for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes, lead researchers Yasser Abdel-Wahab was quoted as saying. They carried out lab tests on the nocturnal frog that dwells in the ponds and lagoons of the Amazon and found that the paradoxical frogs peptide, pseudin-2, increased release of insulin in cultured cells by 50%. Type-2 diabetes, which occur in the middle age, is associated with lifestyle factors such as obesity and develops because the body does not produce enough insulin or becomes resistant to the concentrations available. However, according to the researchers, more work needs to be carried out before the therapy is ready to be tested on human patients. Now we need to take this a step further and put our work into practice to try and help people with Type-2 diabetes. More research is needed, but there is a growing body of work around natural anti-diabetic drug discovery that is already yielding fascinating results, Abdel-Wahab said.

Experts close to treating fractures with stem cells

TIMES OF INDIA 19 February, 2008 Scientists at the Edinburgh University in the UK are close the developing a treatment which they claim will mend shattered bones or ripped cartilage using a persons own stem cells. According to the scientists, the

bioactive scaffold treatment involves taking stem cells from blood or bone marrow of people with serious injuries and prompting them to grow into the type of bone or tissue needed to heal the damage. The scaffold consists of a fairly rigid mesh structure, coated or impregnated with a drug that helps them stem cells take hold this would also mean the patient does not have to
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undergo surgery to harvest the cells. The key to success would be to get the recipe right for encouraging the stem cells to grow in what are effectively harsh environments, according to lead researcher Dr

Brendon Noble of universitys MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine. The scientists hope that the technique part of a 1.4 million project will be tested in patients within a period of two years.

If the technique works properly, they believe it could also eventually have an impact on treating conditions such as osteoarthritis, thereby potentially reducing the need for hip and keen replacements.

Team stumbles on key to aging

TIMES OF INDIA 13 March, 2008 A team of scientists led by Indian American Suresh Subramani says it has cracked a vital biological puzzle that may hold the key to everything from aging to cancer. The puzzle has to do with authphagy, or selfeating - the process by which uncleated (eukaryotic) cells keep themselves healthy. The settlement, referred to as Korphos-Kalamianos by the researchers, rests on the shores of the Saronic Gulf in the western Aegean Sea about 60 miles to the southwest of the Greek capital, Athens. All eukaryotic cells dispose of bacteria, viruses, damaged organelles and other non-essential components

through this kind of self-eating process. Subramani, of the University of California, said the key player in this process is a protein known as Atg30, which controls the degradation of cells. Findings of the study, published in the journal Developmental Cell, is important because it allows scientists to control some aspects of cellular autophagy. This, in turn, could help illuminate its role in ageing, immunity, neuro-degeneration and even cancer. Autophagy was first described about 40 years ago, but has only recently become a topic of interest in cell biology because it helps maintain the balance among synthesis, degradation and recycling. For the first time, we can use a protein to control the (self-eating) process, Subramani said.

Using immune cells to fight HIV

TIMES OF INDIA 23 February, 2008 Scientists claim to have found a thereapy which can be used to stimulate the production of vital immune called T-cells, in adults with HIV. HIV disease destroys T-cells, leading to the collapse of the immune system. The thymus gland which produces T-cells gradually loses function over time and becomes mostly inactive during adulthood. Though it has been long assumed that the thymus gland connot be reactivated in humans, the researchers at Gladstone

Institute of Virology and Immunology and the University of California have found that pharmacological therapies can be used to enhance human thymic function. The results of our research represent new proof of principle findings that thymic involution can be reversed in humans. Improved T-cell production may be helpful for some medical conditions such as HIV disease. These findings contribute new information and are also an important step to determine whether immuen therapies might someday benefit patients who need more T-cells, said the studys lead author Laura Napolitano.

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