Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Apr 18, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Apr 18, 2003 |
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Corporate
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Research & Development Orchid Chem keen on DNA library Sanjiv Shankaran
CHENNAI, April 17 ORCHID Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals is looking at the strategy of using biotechnology as the foundation for its drug discovery programme. According to Dr C. Bhaktavatsala Rao, Deputy Managing Director, the company is at an early stage of formulating a strategy wherein it would form a team that would define its biology-related needs, and subsequently purchase a DNA library to carry forward its research. ``We are studying the approach,'' said Dr Rao. He added that a DNA library would help the company pick and validate targets in the human body and set boundaries for its drug research. In this context, a library is defined as an organised collection of genetic material that can be systematically screened for specific properties. Pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe often use libraries to improve the efficacy of their research programme. Orchid may identify another company— a biotechnology firm, for instance — that would customise a library to meet a clearly-defined requirement. Dr Rao indicated that the approach of buying a customised library would help the company cut down the time and cost involved in the drug discovery process. Orchid already has a 50:50 joint venture with the US-based Bexel Biotechnology to work on drug discovery research in the US. The joint venture, Bexel Pharmaceuticals, uses biotechnology as the platform for its discovery-related research. An exercise to use biotechnology as the base for Orchid's in-house drug discovery programme would only ``add value to our Bexel venture'', said Dr Rao. A DNA library could cost between $20,000 and $100,000 depending on the requirements for customisation. He feels that once the project is functional, it would be possible to get ``experimental results'' within six months. At present, Orchid's Research & Development (R&D) laboratory is working on using biotechnology to replace chemical processes in the manufacture of drugs. Company officials said that objective of the exercise is lower the cost of production, and eliminate some of the waste generated as a by-product of the chemical process.
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