Company Watch

Intas in R&D pact with Virionics

Our News Bureau - Mumbai

Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited (IBPL) has entered into a strategic R&D agreement with US-based Virionics for development of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV-16 and HPV-18) therapeutic vaccine. This vaccine is useful for treatment of cervical cancer. The collaboration provides unique technology transfer opportunity along with exclusive marketing rights to IBPL for supply of the product in India and in certain key markets. The development of HPV therapeutic will be based on the virus-like particle technology, which will be supplied by Virionics. The initiative will serve IBPL's purpose to explore novel R&D technologies for development of new bio-therapeutic products. As a part of a commitment towards the agreement, major part of the funding shall be done by IBPL.

"Both the companies will jointly initiate a development programme and create a development committee, comprising members of the two companies, which will be responsible for creating, modifying and monitoring the programme. The committee will be responsible for providing strategic pre-clinical, manufacturing and clinical study, and will simultaneously execute a clinical programme to support the combination product. Additionally, IBPL will have the first option to be a contract manufacturing supplier of the product, for India and other markets. Process development and yield improvement activities will be carried out at IBPL," said Mani Iyer, Director, IBPL.

IBPL, through its 100 percent subsidiary Indus Biotherapeutics, has successfully completed clinical trials of three biotechnology drugs—G-CSF, erythropoietin and interferon, which are now in the markets.

"The development programme will have milestones related to drug development, manufacturing, patenting, regulatory affairs and all other relevant activities. IBPL has been given the right to use programme assets during the agreement period to conduct the development programme. During the term of agreement, Virionics and IBPL will jointly own all rights, titles and interests in any joint discoveries in their respective territories. Considering the increasing rate of cervical cancer in India, IBPL may explore several social government initiatives in future for commercialisation of the product. It is noteworthy that cervical cancer is highly prevalent in Indian women with 80 percent caused by HPV infection," said Dhananjay Patankar, Chief Technical Officer and Head (R&D), IBPL.