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Work on Ribosome’s Translation of DNA Information Gets This Year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2009 jointly to Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan of MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Dr. Thomas A. Steitz of Yale University, USA and Dr. Ada E.Yonath of Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel for studies of one of life’s core processes – the ribosome’s translation of DNA information into life. Anunderstanding of the ribosome’s innermost workings is important for a scientific understanding of life. Ribosomes produce proteins, which in turn control the chemistry in all living organism. As ribosomes are crucial to life, they are also a major target for new antibiotics. The three scientists were recognised for having showed what the ribosome looks like and how it functions at the atomic level. All three have used a method called X-ray crystallography to map the position for each and every one of the hundreds of thousands of atoms that make up the ribosome. This year’s three Laureates have all generated 3D models that show how different antibiotics bind to the ribosome. These models are now used by scientists in order to develop new antibiotics. The prize amount of SEK 10-mn is to be shared equally between the Laureates.

India Set to Become A Preferred Clinical Trial Destination by 2015

Mumbai: The domestic pharmaceutical market is expected to triple to $20-bn by 2015 from the current $7-bn and move into the world’s top 10 markets. This commercial component of India is also influencing India’s attractiveness as a clinical trial destination, according to a FICCI-Ernst & Young report on ‘Compelling reasons for doing clinical research in India’.
According to the report, by 2015 MNCs with patented drug could account for $8-bn in the domestic pharmaceutical market, nearly 8-10% of the total market. The report highlights the product patent regime set up in 2005 as one of the primary reasons for the potential of growth. “The patent infrastructure in the country has been appreciably upgraded over the past few years to support new laws with the addition of patent examiners, decentralization of the filing process and digitization of records,” the report said. Another contributing factor to the high growth expected in the pharmaceutical market is that the population in the highest income class is expected to grow to 25-mn in 2015 from 10-mn. This is expected to drive the affordability of high value patented drugs.

Market Shares of Traditional Antibiotics Take A Hit

Mumbai: Drug resistance is a key public health problem and also a problem for makers of branded antibacterial products, according to the findings of a new report from Kalorama Information. Traditional antibiotics like quinolones, cephalosporins, and penicillins, have seen their market share erode due to loss of effectiveness, while at the same time they are facing heavy generic competition. Growth is flat and is some cases, sales are declining, according to the report. The report estimates the total world market for antibacterial drugs, which represents almost half of the anti-infectives market, at $24.5-bn for 2009, up a scant 0.7% from 2008. The problem is increasing at an alarming rate that far exceeds the rate at which new drugs are being discovered and brought to market. Therefore, the report emphasizes the need to preserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics as being critical to protecting public health.
“As much as half of medically prescribed antibiotics are unnecessary, which is a remnant of the misinformation that antibiotics cure all and are not harmful,” said Ms. Melissa Elder, an analyst for Kalorama Information. “In many hospitals, third generation cephalosporins are used in emergency rooms when the existence of infections has not even been established. Many such interventions are of questionable efficacy and pose an additional risk in favour of resistant bacteria,” she observes.
More than 90% of staphylococcus aureus strains are resistant to penicillin and other related antibiotics; and many are resistant even to the newer methicillin-related drugs, the report notes. There is an alarming rise in the incidence of enterococci (the streptococcus that is the most common cause of hospital-acquired infections) resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin, often the last weapon for defeating these pathogens, it adds.
“Concerns over resistance have resulted in additional funding for new treatments specifically targeting resistant bacteria. Although this seems to be a solution on the surface, many developers are reluctant to follow this development path,” says Ms. Elder.

Promote Manufacturing of Medical Devices

New Delhi: The Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers is working with the State Government to initiate a special drive to promote the manufacture of medical devices in the country and make India a manufacturing hub for these devices to serve the nation. This was said by Mr. Srikant Kumar Jena, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, while inaugurating a ‘National Conference on Medical Devices’ in New Delhi, organized by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, NIPER and FICCI. Mr. Jena pointed out that the last three decades had seen unprecedented improvement in health-care, primarily due to strides that sciences and technology has made in-developing an understanding of the causes of diseases; technology that has helped to develop better medicines and devices; and improvement in diagnostics for an early and correct intervention. The Minister stressed the need to create infrastructure – hospitals, trained doctors and support staff – and ensure affordability through innovative financing options for medical device companies to expand operations and activities.

ISP Pharmaceuticals to set up Drug Solubility Centre at Hyderabad

Hyderabad: ISP Pharmaceuticals is expanding its R & D facilities in Hyderabad by setting up a ‘Solubility Center of Excellence’ as part of its drug solubility initiative. The facilities in Hyderabad will act as a focal point for the R & D ISP conducts in the area of solubilisation of drug actives for the pharmaceutical industry. Activities at the new centre will focus on the use of polymers, disintegrants and cyclodextrin chemistry as tools to achieve improved drug solubility and bioavailability in oral and parenteral pharmaceuticals. The Solubility Center will also work to advance ISP’s capability in solid dispersion technology for drug formulation, including both spray drying and hot melt extrusion applications, informed a company press not.

GVK Bio, Quantitative in Pact to Develop Databases

Bangalore: GVK Biosciences and Quantitative Solutions (QS), a modeling and simulation consultancy firm, have entered into a partnership to develop and market clinical trial outcome database. According to the agreement, GVK Bio would distribute globally existing QS database in five indications including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, neuropathic pain, osteoporosis (postmenopausal) and major depression immediately. The Hyderabad-based company and QS would also jointly develop and market additional database in dyslipidemia, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and other indications. “Metaanalyses involving publicly available clinical data to provide valuable insights to drug development and marketing programmes.

Symyx Expands Global Software - Development Operations

Bangalore: Symyx Technologies, Inc. has announced the opening of a new software research and development center in Bangalore. Developers at the new facility will collaborate with other Symyx sites on the company’s core scientific information management software solutions, including the Symyx enterprise electric lab notebook (ELN), data acquisition software, decision-support software and scientific information databases.

Increase Drugs Inspector Number to 3000: Assocham

New Delhi: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has stressed the need for increasing number of drug inspectors in the country from the existing 1000 to 3000, and also advocated that approvals for conducting clinical trials for pharma companies be accorded within a stipulated timeframe of 30 days. In a representation sent to the government, the Assocham President, Mr. Sajjan Jindal has pointed out that the current number of drug inspectors – around 1000 – is totally inadequate to establish quality of drugs, manufactured by over 25,0000 pharma companies through 10 lakhs sales premises throughout the country.