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Tech Interview
Life sciences industry in India is at a very exciting stage'
Nanotechnology has tremendous possibilities in drug discovery
and in drug delivery systems. And it is no longer a futuristic technology at
the conceptual stage, feels Sudhir Kant, President, Millipore, India.
He shares the strategy adopted at Millipore to tap the life sciences market
with Arshiya Khan
 How
has Millipore kept pace with the changing trends, in terms of regulations, technological
advancements etc?
Millipore's scientists collaborate with manufacturers, researchers and academia
on their projects all over the world. The partnership begins at early stages
in their research and development efforts and continues right through pilot
and commercial stage production. For instance, Millipore got involved with the
top manufacturers of monoclonal antibodies very early. Today, we are unique
in that as we have almost 35 years of experience in this challenging area. In
addition Millipore's own R&D efforts and alliances with some of the most
prestigious centres of research in universities, research organisations keeps
up ahead on technological advancements.
On the regulatory aspect, we consult for customers in roughly 30 countries worldwide.
The collective knowledge built up is another unique advantage. Finally, perhaps
no other company in this business invests as much as we do in training and development
of staff. This keeps us on top of the knowledge curve.
What are the challenges in the technical advancements for
the Life sciences industry?
The life science industry in India is at a very exciting stage. Along with growth
opportunities there are numerous technological challenges. Especially in areas
such as drug discovery, stem cell research, the production of high quality yet
affordable and safe vaccines for pandemics etc. Apart from the capital needed
to transfer molecules from the R&D stage to commercial production, we need
high quality talent from our educational Institutes, talent that comes ready
with hands-on skills in biotechnology, laboratory techniques etc.
What has been Millipore's focus mantra to meet the challenges
of the life sciences industry?
Millipore is constantly studying the needs of our customers and responding pro-actively
as any market leader ought to do. Our vaccines initiative is one such effort
as it involves working closely with vaccine manufacturers to produce high quality
vaccines through modern processes.
To be relevant for India, these vaccines need to be affordable too. India's
first filter validation and process development lab is another example. We saw
this need 10 years back.
The development efforts and focus on Millipore's Mobious range of single use
technologies in bioprocessing is the latest initiative as we are convinced that
this flexible and reliable technology will give our customers a competitive
edge to address the opportunities thrown up by global markets.
We are also doing our bit to help research in India's most critical diseases
— cardiovascular, apoptosis, obesity, diabetes with our highly cited range
of antibodies. The focus is clearly to help researchers do better, quicker,
more productive research in emerging areas where we are better equipped.
What will aid faster development of drugs to the market?
Where does the technical expertise of Indian manufacturers lag and how can the
gaps be filled?
Adopting science based, risk assessment and quality by design approaches in
R&D and scale ups at early stages in the drug development and manufacture
process. Stronger partnerships between manufacturers and companies such as Millipore,
as the cumulative experience of both will deliver results faster.
What are the future trends that you foresee in the life
sciences industry?
- Manufacturers seeking more flexibility in bioprocessing
solutions in the labs and on the production floor
- The adoption of more modern and efficient methods
of vaccine production
- Therapies based on monoclonal antibodies with its
advantage of high specificity
- Rapid microbiology to cut down delays caused in
releasing products to market at the QC stage
- Single use solutions such as Millipore's Mobious
for flexibility, sterility reassurance and speed to market
- Stem cell research and its application to treat
diseases
You also mentioned about nanotechnology to bring in growth,
can you please elaborate?
Nanotechnology has tremendous possibilities in drug discovery and in drug delivery
systems. It is no longer a futuristic technology at the conceptual stage. To
confront the healthcare challenges facing the world it is already showing great
benefits — particularly in technologies such as nano-filtration, the use
of microspheres and other new drug delivery systems that are more effective
in the treatment of diseases.
Tapping emerging markets is the new strategy for many companies,
what would be Millipore's strategy?
We will empower our customers in India with the regulatory knowledge that we
have acquired by being present in these emerging economies— in Latin America,
Russia, China, and Singapore. The Centre of Excellence built up by Millipore
in Singapore is a sure example of our commitment to the biotech industry. Indian
manufacturers looking at emerging markets to drive growth and revenues can depend
on our experience in those environments. That these markets are huge potential
wise and that they are growing fast is beyond dispute.
What are your future plans?
There are lot's of them. We will share them with you and our customers at the
appropriate time.
| Millipore Corporation, a leading provider of technologies,
tools and services for the global life science industry, has acquired the
remaining 60 percent ownership of its joint venture in India: Millipore
India. The new subsidiary will enable Millipore to invest in initiatives
that will drive growth and expand its leadership in India's thriving life
science market. The purchase price of the transaction was not disclosed.
"India has experienced unprecedented levels
of investment and expansion in the country's biotechnology, pharmaceutical
and life science research industries," said Dr Martin Madaus, Millipore's
Chairman, President and CEO. "By establishing direct operations in
the country, we will be able to more effectively execute our strategy
and leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate growth and support
our growing customer base in this dynamic market. We are very pleased
to welcome our colleagues in India to the larger Millipore organisation."
Based in Bangalore, Millipore India was first established
as a joint venture in 1988. The organisation has since grown to include
manufacturing, sales and marketing as well as an Access Services Lab providing
unparalleled technical and field support to pharmaceutical and biotechnology
customers throughout India. Millipore India currently employs approximately
300 people and has additional offices in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata,
Mumbai, and Delhi.
"Millipore's strategic initiative is expected to
further enhance our role as a major partner to pharmaceutical and biotechnology
drug manufacturers, researchers, scientists and academia in India,"
said Sudhir Kant, President of Millipore India. "The industry experience
and technical expertise of the entire Millipore organisation will drive
the growth of our customers through more collaborative efforts and successful
partnerships-particularly in areas such as drug discovery and development,
the production of difficult-to-make biologics and vaccines, and in the
cutting-edge fields of life science research."
India represents a critical part of Millipore's strategy
to increase its growth by expanding its presence in key emerging markets,
including Brazil, Russia, India, China and Singapore (BRICS countries).
Today, more than 80 plants in India are approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration to manufacture drugs for export to the US, and the country
accounts for almost 25 percent of the global generic drug market. Additionally,
the Indian government has invested $1.7 billion to grow the country's
life science and biotechnology industries, and several Indian companies
have emerged as global competitors in the biopharmaceutical industry.
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arshiya.khan@expressindia.com
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