BioAsia 2014 INNOVATE. EVOLVE. 17�19 February, 2014 HICC, Hyderabad, India
Empowering Tomorrow by Fostering Innovations Event Report
Foreword Some things are undeniable facts. And one among those is, “Innovations are definite escalators to a better world.� In LifeSciences industry, innovations are critically essential for the most needed socio-economic growth and development. Understanding the scope, opportunities, hindrances and challenges in 'Innovations in Lifesciences R&D' and formulating a strategy, enumerating new possibilities is very important. The 11th BioAsia brought innovations to the central stage and focused on various aspects of fostering innovation including new business models, R&D efficiencies, innovation ecosystem, intellectual property, financing, etc. The event was extremely well received by the life sciences community and the feedback received has been overwhelming. The event witnessed participation of about 1200 delegates representing over 500 organizations (as against 265 in the last event) and 500 visitors, from 51 Countries (as against 47 in the last event). Besides, over 900 business partnering meetings were realized during the event and based on the requests from participants we are extending the closure of partnering system (BioAsia Connect) by another month. While the number of registered delegates has almost doubled from the last event, we are delighted about the fact that the majority of the participants were decision makers. Through this post event report, we intend to bring to you the highlights of BioAsia 2014 event including the session deliberations, satellite events, participant facts & figures, media coverage, feedbacks & comments, etc. Please do contact us at info@bioasia.in for any additional information you may want.
Warm Regards, Team BioAsia
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Index Introduction
06
International Advisory Board
08
Organizing Committee
09
Participant Profile
10
Ceremonies
12
Awards
18
Keynote Lectures
22
Business Track
28
CEO Conclave
50
Technology Tracks
54
BioAsia Connect
70
BioBazaar
72
International Tradeshow
74
Biopark Visit
76
BioAsia Launchpad
78
Media Coverage
82
Feedback and Comments
86
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Sponsors While the success of BioAsia 2014 can certainly be attributed to its focused content, dynamic platform structure and its inherent ability to connect and optimize opportunities, it was ably supported and complimented by its sponsors; bodies of individual esteem and repute each of whom are irrevocably contributors to this global event.
Introduction BIOASIA 2014: INNOVATE. EVOLVE. Innovations create a better tomorrow. And today bioinnovations stand up as the promise of tomorrow. The central dogma of evolutionary process is one or the other way linked to an innovation. Innovations made "evolution from natural selection and random mutation to evolution by choice" – a possibility. The world is witnessing cutting-edge innovations in biosciences. Research and surveys unveiled that the future is BIO, showcasing immense opportunities for business. Every new innovation happening is a contribution in making lives better and superior. It will not be surprising if global economy, tomorrow, revolves around bio-innovations. BioAsia 2014 brought countries together to unveil promising bioinnovations and offered excellent opportunity for new business ideas.
Contd.
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INNOVATIONS: THE SPUR FOR A FUTURISTIC EVOLUTION: The role of innovations in R&D in Lifesciences. For the first time in the history of human healthcare, innovations and research is enabling the development and/or manufacturing of therapies for a number of rare diseases with a genetic origin. Although individually rare, collectively these diseases affect some 20 to 30 million Europeans and their families, with 70-80% having a genetic component requiring biotechnology as part of the solution. R&D is also proving its role in Healthcare Research, Medical Devices, Drug Discoveries, Bio-IT, Bio-Therapeutics and surgical methods. R&D has a major impact on the provision of safe and effective vaccines against infectious diseases. Medicine today is evolving as a personalized one to treat genome-specifically. Hence there is an utter need for establishing an Innovation Ecosystem, which involves interdisciplinary approach, industry related infrastructure, regulatory systems etc., to improve the operational performance. India, especially Hyderabad, is one among the globally competitive emerging bio-economies. With better advantages on its side like low R&D costs, regional innovation clusters, better understanding about importance of innovations in R&D, strategic associations with global companies, benchmarked technical infrastructure, increased investments from the government, superior extra-mural funding distribution etc., makes the place the next big opportunity to sketch dynamic future to the industry.
International Advisory Board Chairman: Dr. Ajit Shetty Corporate Vice President Global Operations, Johnson & Johnson USA (retd.), Chairman Emeritus, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Belgium Members: Dr. Makarand S Jawadekar Former Director, Pfizer, USA Dr. George Bickerstaff Founder and Executive Chairman, The Global Leaders Former CFO, Novartis, USA Dr. Sang-Ki Rhee Executive Director, SCH Center for Biopharmaceutical Research and Human Resources Development, South Korea Dr. Alfredo Aguilar Chairman, Task Force on Bioeconomy, European Federation of Biotech; Former Head of Unit, European Commission , Research Directorate General – Biotechnology, Agriculture and Food Research, Spain Mr. Ravi Kiron Chief Business Officer, KineMed Inc, USA Ms. Helen Karuso Principal, Regenerat Capital, Washington D.C., USA
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Organizing Committee Chairman: Dr. K V Raghavan Scientist Emeritus and Former Director, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad Members: Mr. K. Pradeep Chandra, IAS Principal Secretary to Government & Commissioner for Industrial Promotion, Industries and Commerce Department, AP Secretariat, Hyderabad Dr. Rajat Kumar, IAS Commissioner of Industries, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, A.P, Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited, Hyderabad. Dr. B. S. Bajaj Secretary General-FABA & Chairman – AIBA-SC, Hyderabad Dr. P. V. Appaji Director General, Pharmexcil, Hyderabad Dr. Ahmed Kamal Outstanding Scientist, IICT and Project Director, NIPER, Hyderabad Dr. G V J A Harshvardhan Director, Bharat Biotech International Ltd., Hyderabad Mr. Brijesh Gupta Business Director – India & Middle East, Lonza India Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad Convenor: Mr. Shakthi M. Nagappan CEO, BioAsia & Executive Secretary – FABA, Hyderabad
PARTICIPANT PROFILE
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Participant Profile The number of delegates registered for the event was over 1200. In addition, over 450 visitors attended the 3 day global biobusiness event. UK participated as the Country Partner while Santa Fe (Argentina) and Gangwon (South Korea) participated as the International State Partners and over 51 countries took part in BioAsia 2014 with major delegations from UK, Argentina, South Korea, China, Scotland, Singapore, Iran and USA. The International Tradeshow at BioAsia 2014 attracted about 89 companies from across the globe.
Geographic Distribution: 6% 10% 5%
77% 2%
Demographic Distribution:
56% 8% 2% 4% 6% 17% 7%
Pharma/Biotech ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– CRO/CMO/Bioservices –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– VCs/Investors/Banks –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Regulatory Agency/Government –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MedTech ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Academic/Research ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Others ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
BioAsia 2014 participants attending various sessions
CEREMONIES
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Inaugural Ceremony
(L & R) Dr. Rajat Kumar IAS, Dr. KV Raghavan, Mr. Rogerio Ribeiro, Prof. Dr. Harald zur Hausen, Mr. Andrew McAllister, Mr. GV Prasad and Dr. PV Appaji
With emphasis on cutting-edge innovations this year, BioAsia 2014 under the theme Innovate. Evolve.' kick-started its highly anticipated three-day conference on February 17, 2014, at the Hyderabad International Convention Center in Hyderabad. The event was inaugurated by Shri Pradeep K Chandra, Principal Secretary to the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Industries & Commerce Department on February 17, 2014 at 5:00 PM. The dignitaries present at the function include: Shri Pradeep K Chandra IAS, Principal Secretary to the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Industries
& Commerce Department, India – Representing the Honble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Lino Baranao, Hon'ble Minister for Science & Technology, Government of Argentina, Argentina Mr. Antonio Juan Bonfatti, Hon'ble Governor of Santa Fe, Argentina Mr. Kim Sang-Pyo, Hon'ble Vice Governor of Gangwon, South Korea Mr. Patrick Suckling, Hon'ble Australian High Commissioner, New Delhi, India Mr. Andrew McAllister, Hon'ble British Deputy High Commissioner, Hyderabad, India Prof. Dr. Harald Zur Hausen, Nobel Laureate of Medicine, Former Scientific Director DKFZ, Germany Mr. Rogerio Ribeiro, SVP & EMAP Area Head, Emerging Markets & Asia Pacific, GlaxoSmithKline, UK Dr. KV Raghavan, Chairman, BioAsia Organizing Committee & Vice President, FABA, India Mr. GV Prasad, Chairman & CEO, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., India Dr. Rajat Kumar IAS, Commissioner of Industries, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India Dr. PV Appaji, Director General, Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council, Government of India, India
Mr. Kim Sang-Pyo, Shri Pradeep K Chandra IAS, Dr. Lino Baranao, Mr. Antonio Juan Bonfatti, Mr. Patrick Suckling,
During the inaugural ceremony, Dr. KV Raghavan, said, "The decade saw an outstanding success in attracting international partners, breakthrough innovation, and better business opportunities at the doorsteps of biotechnology industry in India. Over 60 percent of the participants here are from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and 15 percent of them are CROs and CMOs." Mr. Andrew McAllister in his speech added, "We will be exploring opportunities in the lifesciences sector, sharing knowledge, and conducting businesses. This is an auspicious start. The UK's relationship with India at social level is of tremendous importance. The Indian diaspora is larger than any other minority community in the UK. The Indian lifesciences is engaged in world-class work." Mr. McAllister recalled that Andhra Pradesh has a good infrastructure which attracts investors from all over the world. "The UK lifesciences companies are well represented in India. The R&D fair in national labs and in various lifesciences clusters in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mohali, and Hyderabad are building the ecosystem needed for drug discovery and innovation in lifesciences," added Mr. McAllister. For the UK, according to Mr. McAllister, the life sciences is a priority. "The commitment directly comes from the office of Prime Minister of the UK. There is a wider focus on getting more investors into this sector. We have four of the world's leading universities and a wellestablished sophisticated R&D manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem," he said. He believes that the government, academia, and industry can ensure the practical applicability of pure sciences to develop high-end products, whose benefit can be shared nationally and internationally.
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"The UK is a great place to conduct efficient R&D. Research and knowledge transfer is increasing internationally. We want to internationally bring the best-in-the world researchers and access international facilities, which is the basic foundation for success and the relationship between India and the UK is truly significant. By combining our strengths and ideas, our chances of success increases exponentially. We in the UK offer an environment that welcomes companies and steer them through and help find suitable partners," he opined.
Participants during the Inaugural Ceremony
Mr. Patrick Suckling in his speech commented, "The key message from the Australian government is that it is committed to do business-friendly activities. Its continuing economic refocus has made Australia a global performer for the last few decades. India is our fifth largest export market. Indian companies are investing in Australia and about $10 billion went in to our economy last year from companies like GVK and Tech Mahindra." Mr. Suckling emphasized that Australia serves as an attractive business partner for varied reasons. "We have a strong ecosystem and a proven track record. We are committed to R&D. Australia is strategically located and is composed of multicultural workforce. India stands as the second largest diaspora in Australia. Our country is well positioned with strong R&D base, which is mutually beneficial to the people of India and Australia," he explained. The Inaugural Ceremony also featured the release of the Lifesciences Policy for the State of Andhra Pradesh by Shri Pradeep K Chandra IAS, Principal Secretary to the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Industries & Commerce Department. The key note address was delivered by Mr. GV Prasad, Chairman & CEO, Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., India who spoke about the India's path to becoming the Innovation Hub, Mr. Lu Chunyun, President, China Medical City who spoke about the Chinese Overview of the Lifesciences Innovations and Mr. Chris Stirling, Global Head of Life Sciences, KPMG, UK who spoke about the current and the future Global Life Sciences Innovation Landscape.
Welcome Reception The first day concluded with a Welcome Networking Reception at Novotel lawns co-hosted by UK.
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Valedictory Ceremony
The valedictory ceremony was attended by eminent personalities including Prof. Dr. Harald Zur Hausen, Nobel Laureate of Medicine, Former Scientific Director DKFZ, Germany, Shri Pradeep K Chandra IAS, Principal Secretary to the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Industries & Commerce Department, Mr. Jayesh Ranjan IAS, Managing Director, APIIC, Dr. Khalid Chowdhary, President – FABA & CMD, Medipak Ltd., Pakistan, Dr. Mahender Rao, Director, National Institute of Health, USA, Dr. William Dar, Director General – ICRISAT and Dr. PV Appaji, Director General – Pharmexcil.
The ceremony also featured the release of the BioAsia-Pharmexcil Report on “Indian Biopharmaceutical Industry – Guidelines & Incentives available to Exporters”
(L to R) Mr. Jayesh Ranjan IAS, Dr. Khalid Chowdhary, Shri Pradeep K Chandra IAS, Prof. Dr. Harald zur Hausen, Dr. William Dar, Dr. Mahender Rao and Dr. PV Appaji during the release of the BioAsia-Pharmexcil Report
The following awards were also presented at the closing ceremony: FABA Special Award presented to Dr. Mahender Rao, Director, National Institute of Health, USA and Dr. William Dar, Director General – ICRISAT BioAsia Innovation Award 2014 awarded to Mr. Sudhanshu Kumar Shukla from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and to Mr. Ankur Singh Saini from National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi BioAsia Young Minds Award 2014 awarded to Ms. Anuja Duklan from Uttarakhand Board of Education and to Ms. Dhanya Mahalakshmi M. from Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Adyar, Chennai 14
AWARDS
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Genome Valley Excellence Award "Genome Valley Excellence Award" was introduced to recognize and honour eminent individuals and organizations for their exceptional contribution to Lifesciences Research & Industry. The Government of Andhra Pradesh had instituted the "Genome Valley Excellence Award" during its first BioAsia 2004 and being continued in every edition of BioAsia. This year's Genome Valley Excellence Awards were presented to – Prof. Dr. Harald Zur Hausen, Nobel Laureate of Medicine, Former Scientific Director DKFZ, Germany in light of his – Exemplary research and the path breaking discovery of the role of papilloma viruses in
cervical cancer Extensive contributions to the field of biomedical science and cancer research Promoting high risk innovative and interdisciplinary research in biomedical sciences
GlaxoSmithKline, UK accepted by Mr. Rogerio Ribeiro, SVP & EMAP Area Head, Emerging Markets & Asia Pacific, GlaxoSmithKline, UK in light of its – Un-waivered commitment to patient health through various Global Health initiatives,
particularly encouraging research on WHO's priority diseases - HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Support and initiatives focused on treatment of tropical diseases by launching disease eradication programs Vision, leadership and focus on cutting-edge Research & Development and its continued commitment to innovation in Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare
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FABA Special Award Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) is a nonprofit society, which represents 20 Asian countries with a common interest in promoting human health through advances in Biotechnology. FABA, with its humble beginning in 2004, has achieved a significant landmark in creating a platform for interaction among member countries and discuss the issues of common interest for improving the biotech space including technology transfer, resource sharing, business collaborations, Industry-Academia linkage, cross border trade and investments, etc. among its member countries. In order to recognize and honour eminent personalities for their longtime contributions to Biotechnology and Lifesciences sector, FABA instituted the "FABA Special Award" in BioAsia 2010. This year's FABA Special Awards were presented to – Dr. Mahender Rao, Director, National Institute of Health, USA in light of his – Internationally renowned research involving human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and
other somatic stem cells Commitment to the betterment of human health as a physician, clinical scientist and leading advocate in public health, stem cells and regenerative medicine Vision, leadership and focus on cutting edge Research & Development and continued commitment to innovation in stem cell research
Dr. William D. Dar, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in lights of his – Leading ICRISAT into renaissance, excellence Transformational leadership turning ICRISAT into a forward looking
and globally competitive institute guided by its strategic framework of Inclusive Market Oriented Development (IMOD) Relentless efforts to alleviate the conditions of the poor people living in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
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BioAsia Innovation Awards
Rs. 1 Lakh Cash Prize, Memento and Citation awarded to Mr. Sudhanshu Kumar Shukla from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore for his project "9-Gene Methylation Signature for Gliblastoma Survival Prediction" and to Mr. Ankur Singh Saini from National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi for his project "A Novel Approach To Target Antibody-Mediated Autoimmune Diseases By Decreasing Plasma Cell Lifespan."
BioAsia Young Minds Awards Rs. 50,000 Cash Prize, Memento and Citation awarded to Ms. Anuja Duklan from Uttarakhand Board of Education for her project: "Isolation of Antibacterial Terpenoids from the Latex Of Euphorbia Royleana Shrub By Destructive Distillation Process" and to Ms. Dhanya Mahalakshmi M. from Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Adyar, Chennai for her project: "Piper Betle- A Medicinal Aid."
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BIOASIA 2014 KEYNOTE LECTURES
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Keynote Lectures India's path to becoming the Innovation Hub - Opportunities Speaker: Mr. GV Prasad, Chairman and CEO, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, India
Mr. GV Prasad during his keynote lecture
The Indian growth story in the Life Sciences space has been remarkable with pharmaceuticals expected to reach an estimated USD54 billion by 2020. Inspite of varied challenges that MNCs have encountered like the DPCO, 2013 which seeks to reduce the price of 348 drugs and a series of patent and data exclusivity rulings in the favour of compulsory licensing, the industry has managed to witness a continual growth trajectory. Fuelled primarily by exports and the generic industry – pharmaceuticals in India has seen positive growth both in terms of value and volume. However the lure of the Para-IV landscape will decline in all probability coupled with the reduction in the number of mega patent expiries – eventually diminishing the generic opportunity. Indian companies therefore must build innovative strategies to combat the lack of exclusive opportunities and build a sustainable business model. Innovating with product portfolios is being witnessed increasingly in the Indian context. There has been a gradual trend of companies targeting their energy towards niche segments and products with higher level of complexity and technology. Companies are also exploring biosimilars. India currently holds 3% of the global market after China and South Korea in the biosimilars segment. The global opportunity in the area is estimated at USD 5 billion by 2015. Indian companies should look at further building capabilities in this domain.
While niche and complex molecules are a part of the diversification strategy that companies can adopt to build sustainable portfolio – value added generics are a means to enhance present offerings. Innovation and technology are key in the growth of any industry and Indian companies must look at generating added-value offerings with 'super-generics', which can deliver additional benefits to patients. Innovation also encompasses widening scope of therapeutic areas and looking to address emerging needs. Areas such a sports medicine, geriatric medicines, neutraceuticals etc are all boons of an increasingly aware populace whose demand needs to be met. Another very important facet as India emerges as an innovation hub is drug delivery systems. Focus on delivery system-based products may emerge is an important area of growth.
Address Mr. GV Prasad discussed the current state of affairs in India. He spoke on the growth trajectory that the Industry has witnessed, its role in the global agenda and the key achievements of the Industry. Indian companies have finally accomplished an NCE launch and while the journey may have been arduous and plagued with inherent challenges, it undoubtedly fares well for players seeking to accomplish similar goals. He also discussed in length the hurdles an innovator may face in India, from regulations and IP to the basic culture deficit that may hinder credibility of the sector. He highlighted the need for innovation (be it break through or incremental) and the role these challenges play in the execution of creativity. Setting the context, he went on to explain India's opportunity and the importance of the present time to leverage this opportunity. Not only in R&D, but innovation as an idea is applicable to every aspect of the value chain. The focus of his speech was on enhancing productivity at every aspect of the value chain. In the field of marketing and branding, in terms of compliance or in making the manufacturing plant more efficient – creativity has a role to play at all junctures. The opportunities that are available today to companies are numerous. Be it in niche areas like oncology and dermatology, or in complex molecules like biosimilars – companies today need to play to their strength, pick a domain that is most suitable to their business model and unleash their creative potential to achieve value add. Mr. Prasad, discussed the monumental role of collaboration in this context. Open dialogue between all the stakeholders is imperative to achieve any success. Western clusters have exhibited the important role of collaboration in achieving success. A similar model will work positively for India.
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Lifescience Innovations - China Overview Speaker: Mr. Lu Chunyun, President, China Medical City
Mr. Lu Chunyun delivering the keynote lecture
While, highlighting that the biomedical product and industry of India is very powerful, Mr. ChunYun thanked the organizers for giving the opportunity to introduce the Chinese Biomedical Industry and the China Medical City in India. He stated that in the past few years, the Chinese Biomedical Industry has grown so fast and the annual growth rate is about 20%. In 2013, the Chinese medical product revenue reached 34 billion dollars, however there is still a huge gap between the growth rates as compared to the United States. Because of this, the Chinese government is taking keen interest in promoting further growth and has introduced policies to promote the biomedical industry in China by providing and promoting investments, intelligence and technology support. The local government in China has recognized the China Medical City as a key player in promoting this industry. He informed the participants that China Medical City is located in the most advanced area in China and is about 200 kms from Shanghai. The park has concentration of activities such as R&D manufacturing, medical devices export and has been recognized as the biggest and only medical park in China. He further informed that after over 8 years of construction, China Medical City already has over 500 domestic and international companies. Among these, almost 50 companies are focusing on R&D including international companies like AstraZeneca, Takeda and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Global Life Sciences Innovation Landscape – Where are we and what next? Speaker: Mr. Chris Stirling, Global Head of Life Sciences, KPMG, UK
Mr. Chris Stirling delivering the keynote lecture
The US$300 billion-worth global pharmaceuticals business lacks a level-playing field with the 10 largest drug companies controlling more than a third of the market. The industry may expect an impressive growth rate in the next five years, but it will primarily be driven by four major life sciences hubs in the world — North and South America, Europe and Japan. While statistics may indicate a healthy outlook, the truth is that even after years the global life sciences industry is struggling to discover the right business model. However, that is perhaps not the most critical challenge for the industry at the moment. The existing model and strategies seem to be well past their shelf life. They are no longer relevant to today's dynamic business environment and market shifts, as the industry hubs do not enjoy the status of being the chief growth areas anymore. However, since they cater to diverse markets, their strategies pertaining to essential industry operations — sales, marketing, manufacturing and innovation — must be overhauled to retain their universal appeal. In today's highly competitive world, a country's capacity for innovation is increasingly driving sustainable growth across fields and levels. Gone are the days when low labor costs were the only game changer. Today, industries and consequently, countries are striving to stay ahead of the pack by increasing their appetite for innovation. Life sciences players across the globe are not immune to this phenomenon. They are also embracing innovation like never before, perhaps because they have understood that developing path-breaking technologies, products and services is the only way forward for the industry, which finds itself at crossroads at the moment. Developments in the past few years seem to suggest that three primary factors shape the global life sciences landscape — exploitation of enabling technologies; convergence of core technologies; 26
and continuous funding and incentivizing research and development activities. However these might only be the primary themes and consideration of all allied factors in entirety is needed. Address Tying into the themes of innovation and evolution, Mr. Chris Stirling, Global Head of Life Sciences at KPMG, delivered a keynote speech on the various aspects of the life sciences innovation landscape. Chris told delegates that “companies who will succeed over the next 20 years will be those that move to a service oriented model, delivering healthcare treatments that go beyond just blockbuster drugs.” To do this he advised companies to focus on three things: 1.
Become more patient focused
It is important to consider a business model where the patient is placed at the centre of the business decisions as opposed to the end. Patient access programmes and establishing links with the patient would in the long haul benefit companies much more than focusing on pure play drug research. Going forward, the distance between the patient and the pharmaceutical company will shorten. As the patient becomes more aware and informed, it is vital that pharma companies assure them that it is their health which is the topmost priority and not the company's topline. 2.
Foster a culture of collaboration internally as well as externally
Chris urged CEOs to change the way they think about the business as a linear value chain and move toward a value 'ecosystem' approach. In this model, innovation happens across the business as a whole, rather than being focused at one end. The innovation landscape in Life Sciences has been marked by the emergence of clusters. Geographically close groups of allied companies and associated institutions in a particular field, connected by common technologies and skills comprise “Clusters of innovation”. These are known to harness innovation by facilitating active exchange of ideas and capability amongst various stakeholders – companies, academia, research institutes and governments. These clusters further promote collaboration and enable companies to capitalize on external R&D. 3.
Develop new business models
The industry has been actively contemplating several new models for some time. The two prominent ones that have recently emerged include: -
Promotion of high risk/high value R&D Establishment of a more distributed business model
Two US-based pharmaceutical majors are currently following these two distinct models to increase their reach in emerging markets and strengthen their position in the developed ones. While these two models have so far been the most notable ones, various companies are following other, new business models too, such as the diversified product model and premium-priced treatments models for rarer and serious diseases. It might be the most critical challenge before the pharmaceutical, but identifying the most viable and profitable business model is unfortunately not the only one.
BIOASIA 2014 BUSINESS TRACK
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Creating an Innovation EcoSystem Role of Industry, Academia, Government, Investors and Service Providers, Science Parks and others Time: 10:00 - 11:30 Hrs, February 18, 2014
(L to R) Mr. Jonathan Kua, Dr. Toby Wilkinson, Dr. Ajit Shetty, Ms. Deepanwita Chattopadhyay and Prof. Ajith de Alwis
Context Life Sciences today faces multiple challenges in the form of drying research pipeline, the increasing cost of drugs and increasing monetary pressures on governments. With accessibility and availability of quality medicines being a priority for any economy – it is imperative that all stakeholders in the life sciences domain collaborate to create and ecosystem that encourages innovation while factoring in the needs of the larger population. Innovation in this context encompasses newer ways to address the core challenges in life sciences which stretch across the entire product development and distribution value chain.
CEO CONCLAVE
The following imperatives could facilitate the creation of a sustainable innovation ecosystem: Facilitating flexible collaboration across the sector Establishing adequate funding mechanisms and incentives to promote collaboration Ensuring that collaboration results in beneficial exchange of ideas that are actionable and aid
the growth of the industry and populace at large Balancing the interests of the academic institutes with industry expectations – promoting
research and ensuring commercial feasibility Devising frameworks for collaborative agreements that promote innovation, by the correct
treatment of emergent Intellectual Property. Creating a risk based regulatory framework for research which focuses on innovation while
ensuring that patient and public safety Harnessing an environment that fosters the growth of domestic companies and also attracts
investors to India
The three primary stakeholders which comprise this ecosystem and who need to play in tandem for the efficient functioning of the industry are: Academia: It is important to empower academic institution so that they can contribute more towards the R&D pipeline. Partnerships between academia and industry can result in increasing synergy of discovery and commercialization. Incubation programs in a few academic institutes have added tremendous value to the research pipeline and are an asset to firms as they look for ways to source early stage innovation Public sector role: It is vital that governments empathize with the high risk nature of the industry. The pharmaceutical sector is a research oriented field which invests heavily in research before the products yield monetary returns. It is important that governments formulate policies to encourage the research and hedge risks that these companies take. India rakes in a large portion of its revenue from exports – governments should also promote trade policies that are export friendly and try forging MoUs with nations that do not have trade relations with India. It is also important that the public sector incentivises research and development at academic institutes from a funding perspective. Private players: It is important to have a robust private sector that lures investments and consequently fuels the economic trajectory of the country while employing a large number of people. Private players need friendly policies and government support to ensure sustainability and functionality. It is important that these three pillars work in collaboration to maximize the growth of the landscape and benefit each other and the larger population. Session proceedings Dr. Ajit Shetty, Corporate Vice President (Global Operations), Johnson & Johnson (USA) Retd. moderated this extremely relevant session on creating an innovation ecosystem. Dr. Toby Wilkinson, Head of the International Strategy Office, University of Cambridge began the session by presenting the findings from the Cambridge cluster and their relevance and learnings that might help replicate a similar model for geography. He discussed the key success factors that he believed worked in favor of Cambridge and that nurture the essence of innovation within the cluster. He spoke of: Importance of autonomy: Cambridge fostered autonomy by providing minimum intervention in an individuals research work. He spoke of the need for a free reign that harnesses creativity and fosters innovation. “Creative chaos� he said is what works in favor of research rather than regimented methodologies. He also mentioned that the University did not hold on to the IP rights, but granted them to the inventors thereby incentivizing the inventor. Monetizing research was therefore not a priority as opposed to creating a conducive environment that promotes research. Balance between fundamental and applied research: Dr. Wilkinson emphasized on the foundation of fundamental research followed by the bandwidth for applied research. He opined that it was a balance between the two that helps create a well balanced productive ecosystem.
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His comments largely endorsed the need for a strong research base that a university can provide. He said that, “a highly educated workforce provides “stickiness” that is essential in a cluster or any productive effort. Ms. Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, CEO of IKP Knowledge Park emphasized that funding was a key challenge in the Indian context and while the Indian government was providing funds for early ventures via platforms like BIRAC, it was not enough. She also said that while infrastructure was important in facilitating research, there is a need for “mentoring and supervision” to ensure results. Mr. Jonathan Kua, Director (BMS IPO), A*STAR spoke about Singapore’s emerging lifescience focus and the efforts that are being directed toward creating an innovation ecosystem. He said that what works in favor of Singapore is “the government's role in supporting the sector in terms of funds and otherwise”. He focused on the need to maintain a “holistic approach to talent” and that hiring people from across the world would probably aid the traction of the sector in Singapore. Prof. Ajith de Alwis Director COSTI, SriLanka, spoke of SriLanka's plans to help create an ecosystem. He spoke of the need to study clusters from across the world and “choose a model that would best suit SriLanka's economy and capacity”. He said that they had a long path to follow and it would involve imbibing learnings from across the globe. He spoke of the “3P + P” model that would need consideration of “People, Product, Policy and Patent”. He was positive and excited by the prospects that the sector currently faces. “The future looks exciting” he said. Recommendations The session was able to bring about a clear distinction between the innovation landscape across geographies - from a well developed cluster in Cambridge to a landscape which is at its stage of conception in SriLanka. While funding has increased over the years, funding into R&D as a percentage of GDP
remains low in our country. Government needs to focus and increase the same gradually Knowledge Parks should continually focus on creating an eco-system comprising academic
research institutes, industry and incubation to foster research- frequent forums where these stakeholders can come together and exchange ideas are desired Mentorship should move beyond academia; involving industry leaders to mentor academic research and leveraging on international linkages perhaps through NRI scientists can be the way forward These were a few questions that arose during the course of the session and it is vital that the stakeholders in unison address this to enable the creation of an innovation ecosystem Session Sponsor
Models for enhancing Lifesciences R&D Efficiencies Collaborative and External R&D, R&D Initiatives that will reduce the cost and time from concept to cure, Partnerships, and others Time: 12:00 - 13:30 Hrs, February 18, 2014
(L to R) Dr. Bill Hait, Dr. Ramani Aiyer, Dr. Subir Basak, Dr. Phil Kearney, Dr. Ajith V. Kamath, Mr. Manni Kantipudi and Mr. Utkarsh Palnitkar
Context Pharmaceutical R&D organizations are under immense pressure due to the complex and intensive process of drug innovation. Drug attrition rates, intensive timelines and costs have prompted companies to realize investments through global launches thus exerting pressure on R&D organizations and on formulation development processes. There has therefore been a trend of short term strategic changes being made in organisations – one of which is the shift of R&D organizations from the traditional unstructured and 'academic' R&D environment to 'managed research'. Also noteworthy, is that increasing percentage of R&D funds are spent on in-licensing and programme acquisitions - with competition dramatically driving up prices for assets even in early stages. In light of all these developments it is important that companies devise and implement models that will enhance R&D efficiencies to aid cost effectiveness and success rates in drug development. R&D models have evolved over the last two decades to address the rising costs – from a centralised model (isolated facilities with one central head quarter for new idea development) to a polycentric model (autonomous research units but a centralised head quarter) and finally to the integrated model (Independent and autonomous facilities are created, but degree of independence is ambiguous and head quarter is a part of the R&D network). Nonetheless organisations continue to face dilemmas due to these “make shift” decisions.
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Increasing efficiencies in R&D involves decision making and implementation of measures can be categorised as strategic, tactical or operational. These depend on what part of the value chain the measure can be implemented at and the level of impact consequently. Some measures that have been adopted by MNCs to enhance the efficiency of their R&D are: Decentralizing R&D: Established autonomous but accountable business units with integrated information flow and sharing of best practices R&D Process Outsourcing: Outsourcing a part of the R&D burden to increase overall time and cost efficiency. For example, Pfizer intends to outsource more R&D work going forward, including both clinical operations/ monitoring and pharmaceutical sciences Prioritization in R&D: Prioritize few projects over others to achieve increased focus Partnerships and Alliances: Partnering to leverage the R&D capabilities of other players and increase efficiency. For example, Merck forged a strategic alliance with PAREXEL International for regulatory strategy and clinical development planning capabilities in the area of biosimilars Analytics, IT and Communication Technologies: Adoption of innovative approaches in R&D, including modelling, simulation and other statistical analysis tools to increase success rates. For example, AstraZeneca is using “translational methods” to better link preclinical and clinical data and thereby support earlier decisions R&D Organization 'Spin out': Spin-outs offer an increasingly attractive mechanism for increasing R&D effectiveness enabling companies to maintain a clear focus on core activities and yet still exploit discoveries that are less centric to core Session proceedings Mr. Utkarsh Palnitkar, Head of Life Sciences Practice, KPMG in India, chaired this session by dividing the segment into three main sections: What has been done, What is being done and What should be done. The session began with a presentation from, Dr. Bill Hait, the global head of R&D for Janssen Pharmaceuticals. He said, “In ten years time we won't be making drug treatments for diseases, rather, our products will be part of wider healthcare solutions which will prevent diseases before patients develop symptoms.” He believes the key to successful R&D is about finding and nurturing what he describes as “good science”. Fundamentally this involves companies striking a balance between internal innovation through efficient R&D - and external innovation, through the acquisition of new biotechnologies. Under his direction, Janssen Pharmaceuticals has radically altered their R&D strategy over the last few years. They have reduced the number of therapeutic research areas from 30 to 5 and have vastly reduced the number of drugs in development. He described these changes as, “crucial to a successful pipeline.” However, he also acknowledged that there is “more than one” way to reorganize R&D.
Dr. Phil Kearney, Director, Licensing & External Research, MSD Australia further emphasized the need for networking and collaborating across the value chain. He said “sharing best practices will not only increase efficiency but make the process more result oriented” Mr. Manni Kantipudi, CEO of GVK Biosciences discussed the need for an open innovation model which gave room for easy knowledge sharing and flow of information. He emphasized the need for trust amongst various stakeholders that is essential to foster innovation. Dr. Ajith Kamath, Head, External R&D Innovation in India of Pfizer spoke of how there was a long distance India had to cover in terms of R&D. He said “while diseases are getting complicated, research is old – we cannot take 15 years to come up with a molecule anymore”. He spoke of how the market is evolving and the focus is shifting to niche. He also discussed the volume-value pardox and its significance in Life Sciences. Dr. Ramani Aiyer, Principal, Shasta BioVentures compared the state of clinical affairs between the US and India. He said that there was a need for Indian firms to take R&D more seriously. He said “if we need to change from a “me-too” country to an innovator industry , we have to alter our mindset” Dr. Subir Basak, President, Global Drug Discovery of Jubilant Life Sciences discussed the need for frugal innovation. He spoke of the need of “robust cost effectiveness techniques” across the value chain. Recommendations Successful product development companies need to be more focused in their research- the
number of therapeutic areas targeted should be driven not just by commercial attractiveness but probability of success Offshoring is desirable as long as suitable quality controls are in place
Dr. Bill Hait during his talk
Audience during the session
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Intellectual Property Regime - Barrier or Incentive? Time: 15:00 - 16:30 Hrs, February 18, 2014
(L to R) Dr. Guriqbal Singh Jaiya, Mr. Murali Neelakantan, Mr. Hitesh Gajaria, Mr. Ranjit Shahani, Mr. BG (NS) Tan Yih San and Dr. AKS Bhujanga Rao
Context The introduction of full product patent protection in pharmaceuticals was thought to negatively affect the generic industry as the companies would be delayed in introducing generic drugs and the lack of competition would result in high prices. However, some intrinsic flexibility in the TRIPS agreement strikes a balance between the private rights of patentees and the socio-economic needs and objectives of the people. Within the scope of TRIPS, the following are the main flexibilities which developing countries can use:
Provide exemptions from grant of patents in certain cases Provide exceptions to product patent rights in certain cases Limit data protection Provide for government use and Provide compulsory licenses to non-patentees
To assess the true significance of IPR in life sciences – it is important to understand its impact on: Research – Innovation in India: IP protection plays a key role in gaining an advantageous position in the competitive technological scenario for achieving economic growth. The Indian R&D, with ample technical manpower and a good R&D infrastructure base, has the competency to create intellectual property. However, considering the stage of development of the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry and its capacity to spend on R&D, the IPR provisions should not only be aimed at attracting investor interest in the country but also to enable innovation to a level comparable to the other developed nations.
The government has taken several initiatives for supporting R&D and provided certain fiscal incentives to promote drug research in the industry. Certain programs and boards have been set up in the past to develop and commercialize indigenous technology. E.g. Technology development board which supported the Hepatitis B vaccine development. As a part of the fiscal incentives, the government announced that the weighted deduction on payments made to National Laboratories, Universities and Indian Institute of Technology for approved scientific research programme are to be enhanced from 175 percent to 200 percent in order encourage innovation in the country. This is another step towards boosting the R&D scenario in the pharma industry. For a developing country like India, patents play a very important role for the growing pharmaceutical industry and entire healthcare scenario as a whole. They are also a good indicator of evaluating the impact of the current IPR regulations on innovation in the country. Pharmaceutical Industry – MNCs as well as domestic companies: Globalization is bringing a new economic order where geographic as well as the trade barriers are collapsing. The economies as well as the companies across the world are interdependent as many products and technologies are simultaneously marketed and utilized in many countries. IPR regulations in India impact not only domestic pharma companies but also MNCs as they generate a large share of their turnover and profits from international operations. In such a scenario the interests of the stakeholders are important. IPR also plays a key role in checking the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit drugs as well as legally punishing the manufacturers who indulge in such activities. Therefore, it helps in establishing the credibility of the industry in the international market for drug safety and quality. Moreover, with the rise in the drug development cost, MNCs are looking to form external alliances as a means for increasing the productivity of their R&D by reducing the actual cost of research, shortening the period of drug discovery and development, and pursuing more research options. They are collaborating with Indian companies which offer a cost-effective drug discovery and research platform. MNCs are also moving beyond simple outsourcing agreements and increasingly involving Indian companies in drug development and also a right to share in the profits. The high number of alliances and M&A's taking place in this industry is evident of the collaborative atmosphere existing in India and it can only be taken further with a supporting and encouraging IPR scenario. Session proceedings Mr. Hitesh Gajaria, Tax Leader, Life Sciences, KPMG in India, managed a heated debate on Intellectual Property (IP) with differences of opinion coming from the CEO of a generics company who argued that IP and patents restrict innovation, and the CEO of a global pharma company who believes they are necessary to foster innovation.
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Many bold statements were made during the session including Mr. Murali Neelakantan, the Global General Counsel at Chemical, Industrial & Pharmaceutical Laboratories (CIPLA) who said that “It is a myth that patents foster innovation”. Mr. Neelakantan went on to explain how the story of innovation began much before patents came about. He further enunciated that measures like compulsory license were not impacting India's lucrative quotient as there were no barriers to trade. As the landscape is shifting more towards biologics now, he said, “it once again brings in the process patent as opposed to the product patent, thereby coming full circle”. He also spoke of companies like Google and Microsoft, whose focus while on innovation was hardly linked with patenting activity. Mr. Ranjit Shahani of Novartis, responded by saying that “the pharma industry is not like any other industry, simply because there is a deep emotional component attached to it.” Mr. Shahani said that India was plagued by challenges that were bigger than just MNCs charging higher prices. He said ” Even if we give oncology drugs to every cancer patient in India, do you have enough oncologists to treat them?”. He spoke of the Gleevec decision as “testing the waters, since Novartis was already giving the drug free of cost”. Dr. Bhujanga Rao of Natco, spoke from the perspective of a generics company that has benefited from the pro-CL decisions made in India. He said that “ A patented medicine is of no use unless it is affordable”. He also went on to speak about the necessity of affordable pricing in India and our strength as a generics player. Dr. Guriqval Singh Jaiya of WIPO, gave a more holistic picture on IP . He said that “Intellectual property is more that IP and it is important to give it it's due regard”. He spoke of WIPOs stand in the context and emphasized on the “great need to have clarity and uniformity in decision making by a country”. Mr. Murali Neelakantan, promoted a business model that focuses on long-term goals over and above short term shareholder returns. He claims “the reason CIPLA has been so successful is because they don't have the same financial pressures as other big pharma companies and this has allowed us to do things differently”. The way they changed their sales and marketing operating model created a “target free culture”; his team focuses on the quality of the information they communicate and on having meaningful conversations with clinicians and customers rather than simply pushing products and measuring the number of drugs sold. Recommendations While the need for medicines for the less privileged is a necessity beyond doubt, the IPR
regime must be set up in a manner that it is largely consistent and not always open to interpretation As long as rules of the game are set clearly in advance and commitment to balance the humanitarian needs and respect of IP exists, all stakeholders will be satisfied
Regulatory Compliance & Challenges Time: 16:30 - 18:00 Hrs, February 18, 2014
(L to R) Mr. R. Udaya Bhaskar, Ms. Maggie Massam, Mr. Vikas Dandekar, Shri Sudhanshu Pandey IAS, Dr. Alexandra Pearce, Mr. PBN Prasad and Dr. Khadgapathi Podile
Context As the world today witnesses greater efforts on part of the companies' to push the boundary of innovation and develop better products, the challenges to meet rising standards of quality are also on a rise. Coupled with the increasing scrutiny in terms of compliance, companies today are faced with dilemmas that need to be addressed at the earliest. In the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory compliance acts as one of the driving forces, evolving with time to sure greater safety and effectiveness. Increasing regulatory scrutiny in areas like clinical operations, quality control manufacturing operations, sales and marketing practices, privacy of patient and customer health information, etc is being witnessed in recent times. Some of the key global regulatory bodies are US FDA, Health Canada and European Medicines Agency (EMEA), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), etc. From drug discovery companies in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to healthcare providers, there are a myriad of stakeholders in the sector. With increasing population, changing life-styles and greater health insurance penetration in the country, the regulatory bodies are armed with the mammoth task of delivering an adequate supply of superior quality drugs at affordable prices. India has witnessed a considerable rise in the number of quality manufacturers and manufacturing units approved by regulatory authorities in USA, UK, European Union, Japan, Australia and Canada. India is home to the highest number of USFDA approved plants out of the US. However, it is unfortunate that Indian players have not been able to meet the requisite compliance norms in recent times leading to bans which not only lead to severe monetary damages but also have a bearing on the future of international relationships that Indian players have forged over the last decade. 38
Unlike the US where all drug related matters are under the purview of the FDA, the Indian regulatory set-up is complicated, under-funded and unequipped. With numerous entities such as the chemicals and fertiliser ministry (monitors pharma companies), Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) (which is under the purview of the health ministry) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India there is a clear need for distinct division in responsibility to ensure comprehensive and accurate monitoring. The Indian pharma industry is also faced with other regulatory challenges like delays in clinical trial approvals, uncertainties over FDI policy, the new pharma pricing policy, compulsory licensing. From a regulations stand point, there has been a fair amount of ambiguity surrounding the life sciences segment in India. The FDI debate which has been under discussion for the last many months will need to be addressed. There are a few issues that surround the current status of the FDI policy in India, for instance: ď‚&#x; The FIPB has not been able to specify the criteria considered while approving Brownfield
investments ď‚&#x; The removal of the non-compete clause poses a threat to companies wishing to operate in
niche areas There is a need for clarity and hence finality in laying out FDI policies so that all stakeholders can make well informed decisions as far as their India strategy is concerned. The growth of India's pharma industry is contingent on MNC investment and continual debate on the matter of FDI is a threat to India's investment proposition. Also the major challenge of balancing the public health concerns (which may be threatened if MNCs monopolize the Indian market) without diluting India's investment attractiveness persists. The next government will in all probability have to make some clear and quick decisions in this regard. The Clinical Trial Industry in India is suffering because of the long drawn process and chaos around regulations that has presently stalled 157 trials in India. The new stringent three-tier test which was proposed recently by the Supreme Court further adds confusion to the already dismal pace of clinical trial studies in India. While rights of the recruited subjects is a primary concern and the court's role in protecting their interest is well justified, the fact that the Indian clinical industry has been heavily impacted cannot be ignored. Session Proceedings The session was moderated by Mr. Vikas Dandekar from PharmAsia News. Panelists discussed India's key role in the generics market from an export stand point. Panelists also discussed recent events that were in the media regarding the non-compliance in Indian firms. Shri Sudhanshu Pandey IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce Government of India, in this regard said that India has put together a very robust system for receiving and processing complaints. He said that the media reported events without sufficient due diligence leading to a lot of damage.
Dr. Alexandra Pearce, SVP & Head - Global Regulatory Affairs of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals spoke from a regulators perspective and said that “All national regulators do have their own point of view and will continue to do so as they are regulating for their national population. So, every individual application will be assessed for quality, safety and efficacy relative to their jurisdiction”. She also emphasized on the need for harmonization in regulations to ensure that noncompliance issues were few. She also spoke on “quality by design” saying that inculcating quality from the beginning was important. Mr. PBN Prasad, seconded Shri Sudhanshu Pandey's point and said that “Media has to be sensitized, it has to play an important role and not damage the industry, manufacturing or clinical trials in the country. They should understand the pharma industry and regulations well.”He also discussed the disparity in regulations and compliance norms in countries which leads to issues. He said that WHO compliance was followed in most Indian firms. He spoke of how India has evolved in terms of compliance and quality and is globally acknowledged. Dr. Khadgapathi Podele, spoke of the regulations in clinical trails and the need for India to resolve these issues at the earliest. He also said that the competition will get ahead of us if we do not make clinical trials a possibility in India soon. Ms. Maggie Massam of MHRA, spoke of the increasing appetite for innovation in regulations. She said that “Another area of innovation is not just the standard randomized control trial requirements but other ways to do trial such as adaptive licensing, pragmatic clinical trials, real world clinical trials, etc.” Mr. R. Udaya Bhaskar, reiterated that India has never compromised with quality. He said that “65% of pre-qualified medicines, HIV, TB, malaria are produced in India, if the quality is an issue, will this would not have been true” Recommendations Harmonization in regulations with other countries to ensure that compliance norms are
understood and adhered Tightening quality protocols wherever required
Co-ordinated By
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Open Innovation and R&D Time: 10:30 - 11:30 Hrs, February 19, 2014
(L to R) Dr. Baoping Wang, Dr. Ramesh Panchagnula, Dr. Ajaz Hussain, Dr. Radha Rangarajan, Ms. Jeanette Walker, Dr. Surinder Kher and Dr. Toshiyuki Mori
Context Pharmaceutical companies are continually looking for new ways to increase R&D productivity and developing new and more effective molecules for patients while exercising cost control. Open innovation as a model has worked successfully across sectors and is slowing making its way into the life sciences domain. As the name suggests 'Open Innovation' or the 'Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD)' is an open source code model of discovering a New Chemical Entity (NCE) or a New Molecular Entity (NME). Essentially open innovation involves making all data related to the discovery research available in the public domain for collaborative inputs. Open innovation is thereby contingent on a supportive pathway for information exchange. In India – the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has adopted OSDD to speed up the discovery of more successful anti-tubercular drugs. Any open innovation exercise is primarily fuelled by open access, development and open source. For successful implementation of open innovation, it is vital to address the following areas Enabling a substantial cultural change that harnesses collaboration and partnerships. Such
an ecosystem is essential to leverage external efficiencies and innovation Reaching out and connecting beyond traditional organizational boundaries to promote active exchange of knowledge and ideas Aligning open innovation to organizational strategy to establish its credibility Devise methods to measure the value created by an open innovation process to define its effectiveness Addressing these areas will in turn benefit R&D and promote innovation by – providing access to knowledge, ideas, information and skills. It will enhance the talent pool by sourcing in both internal and external talent via an extensive network of strategic partners. The combination of internal and external expertise also enhances the speed of delivery of projects and helps create businesses which are more responsive to change while remaining robust. In a nutshell open innovation ensures maximization of return on R&D investment. A primary requisite for any entity looking to adopt an innovation model is to gauge its appetite for this kind of an exercise and dwelve into details on the nature of changes that will have to be made in the operational strategy in order to realize its benefits.
It is important to factor in a number of changes that a company will have to make for the successful implementation of this model. Transformation to open innovation is a complex process and needs to be planned in a way that is sensitive to the existing structure within the organization. It is important that this transformation is driven from the top with maximum executive involvement. The company needs to assess its appetite for change while factoring in the existing open innovation footprint of the organization. As a next step the company identifies the projects required to deliver the open innovation strategy and subsequently establishes the tools, methodologies and partnering techniques for successful and effective collaboration. Session Proceedings Dr. Radha Rangarajan of Vitas Pharmaceuticals moderated the session on Open Innovation. The session involved leaders from firms like Takeda, Novo Nordisk, Wockhardt and Ecron. Ms. Walker from Cambridge provided an academic perspective to the session. Dr. Surinder Kher from Ecron Acunova, endorsed the model by saying that “you want to assess what you don't have and how another party can build that gap for you”. He promoted the idea of a multi party collaboration. Dr. Toshiyuki Mori of Takeda Pharmaceutical said that open innovation was extremely relevant to R&D and drug discovery. He said that Takeda was very positive about using this kind of a “knowledge sharing” mechanism that would enable effciiences in the drug discovery programme Ms. Jeanette Walker from Cambridge Biomedical Campus enunciated the need for creating an ecosystem that would make open innovation possible. She spoke of the role of a cluster which brought all stakeholders in proximity thereby enabling “access to know-how and knowledge”. She shared insights on the ABC dinner at Cambridge where A=Academicians B= Businessmen C= Clinicians shared a table and engaged in conversation. Dr. Ramesh Panchagnula of Nektar Therapeutics emphasized on the need for partners to treat each other with respect, rather than intimidation to ensure maximum productivity. Dr. Ajaz Hussain of Wockhardt on the other hand said that “business alignment” was key to make sure that goals are met with minimum conflict. On the whole the panel discussed the pre requisites that are needed to ensure that an open innovation model works successfully. The need to find the right partner, align on needs and requirements and have mutual respect for each other were identified as important.
Recommendations The feasibility of an open innovation model in the Indian context needs to be explored with
deliberations with all relevant stakeholders Measures of reassuring partners need to be framed – e.g. model agreements which can
legally protect the rights of all stakeholders Sponsored By:
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Innovations in Financing - First Mover Advantage Time: 12:00 - 13:30 Hrs, February 19, 2014
(L to R) Ms. Jia-Yi Har, Mr. KV Ramanand, Mr. Vikas Dawra and Mr. Anand Govindaluri
Context The Life Sciences space has witnessed tremendous innovation especially in areas such as data analytics, proteomics, regenerative medicine etc. However monetization of innovation is key for the growth of any sector and it is here where innovations in financing become relevant. In the past 2 years – Pharma and Biotech have witnessed a total of 26 deals with a cumulative value of ~USD 314 million. The generics opportunity attracted heavy investments from 2003 to 2004, however the investments declined by 2008 as the trend matured and market saturated. 2009 to 2010 witnessed investments in diagnostics while presently the focus is primarily on healthcare delivery. The capital intensive nature of the traditional pharmaceutical market and the long gestation period make it a deterrent in terms of private funding. Research oriented firms too face issues as they are not in a position to guarantee quick returns as opposed to other healthcare delivery models. Start-ups and new enterprise in the life sciences space detract investor interest because of scalability. The valuation expectation from an enterprise can be a constraint incase of mature firms. There are limited viable exit routes available and the size of the enterprise may pose challenges in exiting for PE investors. Crowd funding emerges as an option in such a case i.e. if the company is too young for venture funding, but too mature to be funded by founders, their friends, or families. This model can provide funding on a project-by-project basis or as equity investment in a company. There are two main forms of crowd funding, donation-based or securities-based.
With the generic opportunity on a decline – the focus in the life sciences space is on R&D (clinical research), niche segments and biosciences (complex molecules). The biosciences segment is currently a major area of focus in the lifescience space due to its niche and novel nature. Investors are also drawn towards disruptive technologies – innovations that exploit ITC lead to scalable models that prove as safe and profitable investment options. Fidelity Growth Partners India, has invested in two bioscience firms in India. Laurus Labs that develops and manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients with focus on anti-retroviral (HIV-AIDS), oncology and nutraceutical products and XCyton a diagnostics product company – which uses a SES technology platform in the diagnosis and treatment of critical care conditions. Companies which are completely innovation-centric and do not fall under the ambit of traditional pharma need multi-disciplinary expertise, collaboration and cooperation, all of which are characteristics of emerging financing and business models for life sciences R&D. In the traditional, vertically integrated industry R&D model – the company bore all risks and made all the profits. However this approach is not relevant in the current context where the need of the hour is sourcing talent, skill and technology from across the landscape. A prime feature of this new model is an uninhibited factoring in of investment, risk and knowledge – and how all stakeholders will share these to maximize commercial viability. With private investment limited, it is very essential that Governments in emerging countries support R&D inititiatives. A case in point is - GoI has set up a USD 2.2 billion venture fund for supporting drug discovery and research infrastructure development projects. This is a crucial step as it increases the funding required for innovative work by the Indian biotech sector and could further add impetus in the growth of this sector. However there has been no confirmation on how this has been executed yet. Globally – there is ample evidence of MNCs investing in new high value research platforms and delivery systems. Some of the Fortune 500 pharma companies have floated internal VC wings to invest in these areas - Merck Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund are key examples of such ventures. Indian companies could replicate this model to upgrade their research output. Session Proceedings Mr. K V Ramanand, Partner - Advisory, KPMG in India, chaired a discussion on new methods of funding in life sciences and looked at innovative ways of risk sharing. The session highlighted the challenges that the Life Sciences landscape faces in terms of investing. Panelists discussed the high risk proposition of the sector and also compared the investing situation in India with that of other economies Mr. Anand Govindaluri, CEO, GO-VIN Holdings Singapore, spoke of the more evolved investment environment in other Asia Pacific countries. He said that “one is more comfortable investing in Life Sciences in the US or EU, simply because the sector is viewed more positively there”. He said that while Healthcare ventures in India were more promising, Pharma/Biotech had a long way to go.
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Mr. Vikas Dawra, MD, YES Bank, highlighted the role of sector knowledge amongst investor. He said that the investors in other geographies had sector-know how and understood nuances of the sector, putting them in a better position to make an investment decision. The panelists also discussed how IT based ventures were more scalable and hence attract more investors, while traditional research models lag behind. Mr Govindaluri said “Academia and industry are coming together in India, which can make the country a leader in Bio-IT, an area where India already has an edge.” Mr. Anand Govindaluri, also said that the “IP hassles” in India further diminished investor interest. “ You cannot expect the investor to give you money and take care of your IP battles” he said. Ms. Jia-Yi Har, from Partners Group Singapore seconded Mr. Govindaluri by saying that “Healthcare is definitely a sector with more scope”. She said that long gestation periods are obviously deterrents to investment and fear of a second round is not what investors might want to focus on. The panel discussed the need for a bio-entrepreneurship program that would make entrepreneurs more educated and informed about how to traverse the investor landscape. Mr. Dawra further brought out the concept of 'Venture debt' . He said that it “is a new concept in funding which deals with mitigating high risk ventures. Under the concept funding is done at high rate of interest to high risk ventures”. He positioned it as a possible technique that would work in the future. Recommendations Empower bodies like BIRAC from a mentorship perspective to encourage early stage
ventures Create mechanisms to educate entrepreneurs on creating right data packages that interest
investors Create channels that increase access of the industry to early stage ventures
Panelists of the session "Innovations in financing"
Innovations and the 3A challenges (Accessibility, Affordability and Availability) Time: 15:00 - 16:30 Hrs, February 19, 2014
(L to R) Ms. Mirella Marlow, Mr. Amit Mookim, Dr. Krishna M. Ella and Dr. Vivek Ahuja
Context Higher world economic growth has been partially enabled by advancement of technology and 'innovation'. Improved economic growth translated into higher personal incomes, leading to a shift in lifestyles and demand for improved products and services, including high quality and remuneratively priced medicines. To this end, significant contribution has been made by the pharmaceutical manufacturers that have invested millions of dollars in research and development (R&D) or 'pharmaceutical innovation'. In order to encourage innovation, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has made a provision for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), under which a manufacturer can obtain a patent or exclusive control on its product or process or use etc. for about 20 years placing the company in a monopolistic position, thereby enabling it to command a price that is not regulated and more than compensates it for its investment in innovation. However, the high price charged by the manufacturers hinders with the accessibility and the affordability of the drug, especially in a developing world, where diseases are many and people's purchasing power lower. Further, companies invest in life cycle management, to increase the period of patents, or the period to exercise control over product price. This is done through new use of drugs, which extends the period of patent, but limits drug accessibility and affordability.
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Positively, provisions such as manufacture of generic drugs and compulsory licenses (CLs), allowed under TRIPS, support the production of low cost drugs. Infact, India has specialized in the manufacture of generic drugs to an extent that is widely recognized as the 'pharmacy of the world'. However, the manufacture of generic drugs eats in to the profits of companies with patented products, thus meeting with stiff opposition from them. Affordability is also an issue in India, as the medical infrastructure remains inadequate, government spending on healthcare is less and insurance penetration also remains limited. In addition to issues of accessibility and affordability, the Indian pharmaceutical sector is also suffering from non-availability of drugs due to multiple reasons. While patents limit availability of several products being highly priced; greater pharmaceutical exports from India; large quantity of counterfeit and fake drugs; and production of profitable drugs, all limit the availability of required drugs. It is ironical that the country's pharmaceutical sector is the world's fourth largest by production volumes, but exports a significant proportion of its produce (due to higher price fetched overseas), thereby rendering close to 65 percent of India's population without access to drugs. Pharmaceutical exports from India grew at more than 10 percent to $14.6 billion in FY13. Moreover, estimates have slated 20 percent of available drugs in India as fake drugs. This trade thrives as the penalties are meager. Besides, investment is skewed in favor of drugs catering to non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, depression, cancer etc. that mainly arise out of lifestyle changes and serve the affluent strata, in turn maximizing returns for manufacturers. The problem of 3A has far reaching consequences, as it not only hinders with the availability of essential medicines to masses through retail or government schemes, but leads to loss of lives and resources for a growing economy. Thus, the Indian pharmaceutical sector is gripped with an arduous task of balancing the 3As (accessibility, affordability and availability) along with innovation. While the incentive for innovation is the higher price commanded by drug manufacturers, it contradicts with the 3A principle, which is the prerequisite, given the economic and social landscape of India. In order to make affordable drugs available, CL has been exercised in India. However, its use should be judicious to avoid any adverse impact on innovation. Thus, the value proposition lies in making available the drugs at the required time and at a remunerative price. Session Proceedings The session was moderated by Mr. Amit Misra, Associate Director in the Strategy team at KPMG. Panelists spoke on the importance of affordable innovation in the Indian context and the need to balance innovation with affordability to upgrade the standards of healthcare in the country. Dr. Vivek Ahuja from PATH opined that it was the constraints in India have given way to innovation. He said that “there are seven challenges and can be termed as 7A: Awareness, Advocacy, Accessibility, Affordability, Availability, Adoption and Acceleration�. He spoke of the need for all stakeholders in the ecosystem to unify in the conquest of innovation.
Dr. Krishna Ella of Bharat Biotech International Limited, urged the government to play a more active role in funding innovation. He said that “the government has been unable to exhaust their healthcare budget, there is a need for proper planning and allocation to achieve results”. Dr. Ella said that the government lacked the “will power” to work hand in hand with the industry in terms of R&D. Ms. Mirella Marlow from NICE, UK spoke exhaustively on the medical devices landscape. She said that “the 3A problems are global” and there is a need for “evaluating any technology” before its viability can be assessed. The panelists spoke briefly on the need for channelizing funds in the country so that R&D could be promoted. They also spoke of priority diseases like Malaria and TB which should be an investment focus for the government. Recommendations Government and industry are equally committed to cater to the 3A challenges. Government should play a role in 2 ways : Funding projects which can provide easy access or affordable cures to an unmet medical need. Private companies can partner with the Government with the commitment that in lieu of the funding the resultant product will be sold at an affordable price in the country Network of NGOs as used effectively in eradicating polio can be leveraged to target accessibility and availability of medicines in a lot of cases Initiatives like CL should not be one-sided decisions- all stakeholders need to be brought together by the Government before a decision is taken
Panelists of session “Innovations and 3A Challenges”
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CEO CONCLAVE
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Is Innovation a viable business model for India?
(L to R) Dr. Praveen Tyle, Mr. Rogerio Ribeiro, Dr. Maninder Hora, Ms. Archana Shukla, Mr. GV Prasad, Dr. Krishna Ella and Mr. Sanjiv Navangul
Context If innovation were to be translated to drug intellectual property then the equation would fall flat in the Indian context – primarily because monopoly and exclusivity often hinder affordability and accessibility of a drug in developing economies. The need in India is to exploit innovation to enable the production of cheaper drugs that would benefit the larger population. Another need is to make healthcare delivery more accessible and affordable. Innovation in India can be put to its best use to bridge the gap between inequity in healthcare and medical advances. Therefore its prime application lies in the field of drug discovery, therapeutics and delivery of healthcare.
Indian players can adopt an innovation driven strategic model to enable affordability and differentiation. The focus of such players should be to develop innovative products that fetch premiums and then leverage the IP generated for market differentiation. R&D endeavors should focus on the development of high-value-low-cost drug discovery and development. It is important that companies formulate a robust platform that helps them gauge the risk and returns of product development such that R&D investment happens in the right direction and yields positive results. MNCs have been known to invest in tools that help them mitigate the risk of product failure and Indian companies should follow similar strategies. Formulating a risk and innovation framework can help companies invest smartly in R&D and enable ascent up the value chain subsequently. Another strategy that India companies have been known to follow is investing in incremental innovation – which has a high probability of success, such as generics. By segregating high risk and low risk ventures and allocating funds accordingly while continually gauging success rates is the only way to go if companies want to establish a sustainable innovation driven model. While it is vital to set business objectives in place – assessing cost effectiveness and addressing risk concerns ensures affordability. India's success with an innovation led model is contingent on the creation of an enabling ecosystem which encourages movement up the value chain so that there is maximum R&D return. R&D productivity is essentially the ratio of value generated over value invested. To increase the former and control the latter it is important that while focus is on developing newer drugs – cost effectiveness at each stage is assessed. For innovation to make a measurable impact India needs an ecosystem that fosters the innovation process at each stage – from conception and research to financing and implementation. This ecosystem would provide tools and methodologies to address concerns such as funding, infrastructure, talent and regulations. A viable model for innovation would thereby comprise these components to remain relevant and sustainable in the Indian context. Session Proceedings The session was moderated by Ms. Archana Shukla , Special Correspondent at CNBC Tv18. The session highlighted various aspects of Innovation and the factors that work in favor and against India in terms of innovation. Dr. Maninder Hora from Nektar Therapeutics set context by stating that innovation should not be restricted to just drug development. He spoke of “innovations in regulatory pathways” as an example of what was being followed in other countries. Dr. Hora also said that innovation “encompassed the whole value chain” and the term is “often misused and overused”.
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Mr. GV Prasad from DRL seconded this theory and further stated that “ NCE development has the highest value, most money and hence the most risk” but what is important is “addressing the unmet need”. He said that “Unmet needs can be bridged in simple ways, the science behind it may not be too intensive, but the impact is great”. He said that India has proved its metal in “incremental innovation”. Dr. Praveen Tyle from Osmotica also said that while India's capability in NCE research is not that well established it has “emerged as a great destination for incremental innovation”. He also said that “Innovation comes in different shapes, sizes and forms and we have to choose the model that works best for us”. The panelists discussed a variety of issues including compulsory licenses. Mr. Sanjiv Navangul of Janssen India said that “affordability is not the biggest challenge in India, it is access”. He said that the “government should not confuse IP with affordability”. He further went on to enunciate his point by saying that “no one speaks about the free Gleevec that Novartis gives out in India”. The panel agreed with Mr Navangul's views on the need for the government to exert more discretion in terms of compulsory licences and try to deal with the issue of inaccessibility. Dr. Krishna Ella of Bharat Biotech International Limited further elaborated on this topic by saying that “innovation is easier with the government's support”. He also said that the rotavac vaccine was an accomplishment in affordable innovation that happened because of government support but such occurrences were “few”. Mr. Rogerio Ribeiro of GSK said that affordability was not a problem in India only. He said that there were innovative ways to deal with the issue of affordability and all stakeholders should liaise to come up with solutions. Mr. Prasad substantiated on this point by saying that “someone has to bear the cost of innovation and the companies cannot do that”. The panel moved on to discuss the competition that India faced from China in terms of research attractiveness. The panel unanimously agreed that as far as R&D was concerned, India was way ahead of China. Dr. Hora said that “while MNCs are investing in China, it is mostly to gain access to the huge Chinese market and less to do with the research capacity in China”. Dr. Ella made an interesting point in this regard by saying that “India is like an elephant, we are slow but steady and make it to the end”. Recommendations Work towards a unified vision of innovation by harnessing collaboration across stakeholders Government can act as a nodal body that facilitates dialogue between academia and industry
CEO Conclave Sponsor
Media Partner
TECHNOLOGY TRACKS
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Introduction Technology conferences of BioAsia are a new initiative of the eleventh edition of BioAsia. This new initiative is intended to drive translation research by connecting research outcomes to potential end users. It is also positioned as an opportunity to drive innovation, showcase scientific advancements and a platform to update trends. Technology conferences were coordinated in partnership with Insight Bio-ventures India Private Limited, a technology transfer and innovation promotion company in the area of Life Sciences. Eleventh edition has identified six areas for promoting technological advancements through BioAsia, considering their immediate potential to drive Bio business. Drug Discovery, Biotherapeutics & Personalized Medicine, Bio-Energy, Bio-IT, Medical Electronic & Devices and Regenerative Medicine are the six special categories identified for this purpose. Each category was promoted as an independent one day track with the help of special institutional partners that specializes in specific area of research. The one day tracks were structured with four subjects of critical relevance and its level of influence and speakers were invited to share their expertise under each subject. This report summarizes the outcome from each technology track for the benefit of readers.
Organizers
Technology Track Partner
Technology Track Title Sponsor
Date: 18th February Venue: MR 1.01, HICC, Hyderabad
Drug Discovery track was organized in association with Dr. Reddy's Institute of Life Sciences chaired by Dr. Prabhat Arya. The program structure reinforced the significance of biology driven research capabilities among Indian discovery scientist who are more chemistry driven. This track reinfiorced India as an opportunity for the global bio-pharma R&D, while investigating key scientific trends for the benefit of the participants and as an ongoing opportunity to track the scientific developments and promote collaborations for the globalization of Indian drug discovery potential. The programme focussed on key areas, such as: (i) Emerging Targets: Protein-Protein Interactions (PPI) and Signalling Pathways; (ii) Functional Assays and High-throughput Screens; (iii) 3D Cell Biology for Screening; (iv) Chemical vs Biological Space; and (v) the Strength of Small Molecules Pipeline – Drivers & Barriers. Dr. A. V. Rama Rao, from AVRA Laboratories offered a motivation speech for the drug discovery aspirants, an opportunity space leading institutional research accomplishment to entrepreneurship. Professor Goverdhan Mehta, National Research Professor and Lilly-Jubilant Chair, Univ of Hyderabad; Professor Sudhir Krishna, TIFR-NCBS, Bangalore and Sorab Dalal, ACTREC Mumbai, have offered noteworthy contributions to the audience.
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Speakers: Name
Organization / University
Place
Dr. A. V. Rama Rao
AVRA Labs
Hyderabad, India
Prof. Prabhat Arya
DRILS
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Sudhir Krishna
TIFR-NCBS
Bangalore, India
Dr. Ramesh Panchagnula
Nektar Therapeutics
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Sorab Dalal
ACTREC
Mumbai, India
Dr. Prasenjit Mitra
DRILS
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Abhijit De
ACTREC
Mumbai, India
Dr. Sunil Kuma Sukumaran
Anthem Biosciences
Bangalore, India
Dr. Kiranam Chatti
DRILS
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Prithi Rajan,
Saarum Sciences
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Sourabh Ghosh
IIT-Delhi
Delhi, India
Mr. Dinesh Verma
BT India
Delhi, India
Dr. H. Sivaramakrishnan
Piramal Life Sciences
Mumbai, India
Dr. V. J. Patil
Wockhardt
Aurangabad, India
Dr. Arvindh Shanmugam
Akash Consultancy
Chennai, India
Dr. Somesh Sharma
GVK Bio
Hyderabad, India
Participants: The main focus on non-conventional Chemical Space, trends in PPI targets & 3D biology for screening has attracted wider audience across the research value chain of drug discovery. It has a mix of approximately 80 Industry & Institutional participants. Medicinal Chemists and bio-screening scientists dominated the participants list as against consultants & regulators in Drug Discovery. Problem solving agenda: The program concluded with a panel discussion that analyzed issues associated with Indian drug discovery research from both industry and academia perspective. The panel moderated by Dr. Prabhat Arya and Dr. Arvindh Shanmugam analysed six major issues for conclusive remarks. Cross disciplinary knowledge of discovery scientists, access to quality research infrastructure as a barrier to emerging scientist and undeclared & hidden innovation potential of Indian discovery capabilities are critical areas for attention.
Partner
Bio-Therapeutics & Personalized Medicine Conference
Date: 18th February Venue: MR 1.02, HICC, Hyderabad
Bio-Therapeutics & Personalized Medicine track was organized in association with Pharmexcil (Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India), Insight Bio-ventures India Private Limited, Bharat Biotech and US Pharmacopeia, chaired by Prof. Donald W. Weaver , Chairman of Department of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA. Vector technology that improves the process and efficiency of Biotherapeutics production, significance of personalized medicine on Indian healthcare industry and biosafety issues in biotherapeutics production are the three major objectives that aligned the purpose of this event. Pharmaceutical industry is increasingly Biotechnology driven. Bio-pharamceutical export shall improve only when technology associated with compliant production is advocated among Indian manufacturers. This programme was inaugurated with a key note from Nobel laureate Prof. Harald Zur Hausen followed by another key note on personalized medicine from Prof. Donald W. Weaver, the Surgeonin-Chief, Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and Chairman of Department of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA. The program structure has taken up discussions and initiatives to promote compliance in manufacturing by addressing R&D issues associated with process and practice. Unfolding manufacture and safety of next generation biologics is a critical aspect, considering the quantum of export expected from biologics in the next 10 years. So, the conference has covered process technology extensively. The program structure focused on key areas such as (i) unfolding next generation biologics and personalized medicine (ii) recent advancements in cancer bio-therapeutics (iii) manufacture, quality and safety of next generation biologics (iv) vector technology & cancer stem cells.
Participants: This track attendance was overwhelming with more than 30 oncologists, medical professionals, bioanalysts, biosimilars professionals, biologics manufacturers, compliance professionals and business development managers. This track has more than 25 international participants, in addition to the 50 Indian attendees apart from speakers and coordinators. 58
Speakers: Name
Organization / University
Place
Prof. Dr. Harald zur Hausen
University of Heidelberg
Germany
Prof. Donald W. Weaver
Wayne State University
USA
Dr. Ramesh B. Batchu
Wayne State University
USA
Dr Cirino Botta
University of Catanzaro
Italy
Dr. Arun Srivastava
University of Florida
USA
Dr. Bala Krishna Kolli
North Chicago
USA
Dr. Ravindra B Potti
Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology
Hyderabad, India
Dr.Shubhada Chiplunkar
ACTREC
Mumbai, India
Wayne State University
USA USA
Dr. Jose Pontes Prof. John R Jacobs Prof. Selvarangan Ponnazhagan
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
USA
Dr. Sridevi Khambhampaty
Dr. Reddy’s labs
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Mahesh Bhalgat
Shantha Biotech
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Ranjan Chakrabarti
United States Pharmacopeia
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Ralf Klein
ViruSure GmbH
Austria
Ms. Els Beirnaert
New Ventures at VIB
Belgium
Dr.B.N.Patnaik
Bharat Biotech
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Sumathy
Bharat Biotech
Hyderabad, India
Partners
Date: 18th February Venue: MR 1.03, HICC, Hyderabad
Bio-Energy track was organized in partnership with The Energy Research Institute (TERI), Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) supported by Ministry of New and Renewable energy (MNRE, GOI). Dr. Dheeban Kannan of TERI and Dr. Prakasam of IICT were the primary coordinators of the event. This conference focused on immediate and demanding issues associated with sustainable bioenergy production and supply. The conference format is deliberately made simple and focused with the objective of creating a decisive impact on sustainability challenges of Bio-energy. The presentations covered innovations, advancement and analysis of four major titles related to BioEnergy Sustainability. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Ahmed Kamal from IICT. The program structure focused on key areas such as (i) Comparative analysi of Feedstock and alternatives, (ii) Biotechnology, Engineering, Microbiology and Agriculture for Bioenergy, (iii) Industrial Bio-Energy & Commercial Deployment, and (iv) Policy Interventions for Bioenergy Sector.
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Speakers: Name
Organization / University
Place
Dr Ashwani Kumar
University of Rajasthan
Jaipur, India
Dr Ahmed Kamal
IICT
Hyderabad, India
Dr P Srinivasa Rao,
ICRISAT
Hyderabad, India
Dr Priyangshu Sarma
TERI
Delhi, India
Mr Laxmi Narasimhan
Shell Lubricants
Bangalore, India
Dr S V Ramakrishna
Reliance
Mumbai, India
Dr Murali Sastry
DSM India Innovation Centre
Gurgaon, India
Mr. Vasudeo Joshi
Praj Industries
Pune, India
Mr. Sunil Dhingra
TERI
Delhi, India
Dr. Dheeban Kannan Chakravarthi
TERI
Delhi, India
Mr M Kamalakar Babu
NREDCAP
Delhi, India
Mr Rajnath Ram
Planning Commission Government of India
Delhi, India
Participants: This conference showcased bioenergy research in a global context bringing world-class researchers in bioenergy attracting 60 participants working across the bioenergy sector from academia, government, policy makers, industrialists, engineering experts and other related stakeholders. Besides, this track also attracted bioenergy producers, related equipment dealers, biomass power plant operating contractors, crop growers, food waste collection management, crop technical experts. Problem Solving Agenda The problem solving agenda is a panel discussion that debates the issues associated with promotion of bioenergy sector in India. Certain significant issues that are discussed include; Critical feedstock alternatives, Technology promotion for Industrial Bio-energy Infrastructure and policy interventions for the future. Conclusive remarks reiterated the need for requirement for a regulatory framework that shall organize technical, financial and commercial interventions along with consistent technology promotion unique to Indian challenges. It is reinforced that Indian driven energy alternatives require exclusive research interventions that cannot be imported.
Partners
Date: 19th February Venue: MR 1.01, HICC, Hyderabad
Bio-IT conference was organized with the support of Insight Bioventures. The event showcased advancements in scientific tools and disruptive technologies that support biotech, healthcare research and clinical development. The conference explored and analyzed innovative options for handling big data processing requirements, computation challenges, analytics requirements and work flow controls for the benefits of research community in a structured manner. IT investments for Biotech research is a challenge for Biotech R&D companies in terms of realizing value out of existing IT investments and taking decision for adding more IT resources is a significant aspect of this event. This platform offered an opportunity to critically analyze the trends of Bio-IT for deriving optimal utility out of IT. IT Tools companies showcased their options for the evaluation of audience and helped participants with low cost and advanced IT infrastructure alternatives for companies. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Anuradha Acharya from Map My Genome with a key note address on Big Data Challenges for Bio-pharma R&D. The program structure focused on key areas such as (i) Computational Therapeutics (Drug, Proteins & Cells) (ii) Cross Platform Omics for Bio-pharma R&D (Biomarker Discovery, PPI and Systems Pharmacology), (iii) IT Tools for Computational Therapeutics & Data Mining (iv) Big Data Challenges
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Speakers: Name Dr. Anu Acharya
Organization / University Mapmygenome
Place Hyderabad, India
Dr. Vivek Tanavde
Bioinformatics Institute
Singapore
Dr. Vellarkad N Viswanadhan
Signalchem Inc.
Bangalore, India
Dr. Srinivas Pentyala
Stony Brook University
USA
Dr. Narayanan
TCS Innovation Labs
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Pramila Tata
Strand Life Sciences
Bangalore, India
Dr. Usha Mahadevan
Molecular Connections
Bangalore, India
Mr. Raghu Rangaswamy
Schrodinger Inc
Bangalore, India
Mr. Rajiv Hotchandani
Scilligence
USA
Mr. B. Ramakrishna
Sristi Biosciences
Hyderabad, India
Mr. Sameer Chaudhary
RASA Life Sciecnes
India
Dr. Ajay Shah
City of Hope
USA
Dr. Shibichakravarthy Kannan
Ocimum
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Krittika Sasmal
InterpretOmics
Bangalore, India
Participants: Participants from computational tool companies, Big Data Analytics, scientists working in Omics data, IT professional's providing cloud solutions, chemists to roll out automation for process R&D, reckoning more than 60. Bio-IT is dominated by private sector participation. Problem Solving Agenda: Bio-IT companies recognized that IT capabilities of scientists are critical to foster innovation like how it happens in western countries. The panel members discussed the issues that significant to influencing Bio-IT reach among Indian scientist and companies. The fear of IT cost and effort to maintain and utilize clearly throws a burden on bio-IT companies. Conclusive remarks highlighted the importance of advocating the next generation IT options like Software as service, cloud infrastructure and big data analytics require more advocacy and promotion for awareness among bio-pharma companies and institutions.
Date: 19th February Venue: MR 1.02, HICC, Hyderabad
Regenerative Medicine track was organized in association with Society for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of India and Linkoping University of Sweden. This event was one of the major highlights of all the technology conferences as an emerging discipline of high relevance. This programme was inaugurated by Dr. Mahendra Rao, Director of CRM, National Institute of Health-USA. This track is one of the vibrant forum of BioAsia 2014 that attracted standing audience and high intensity interactions. Dr. Mahender Rao suggested business opportunities for Indian companies and avenues to product development. Next version of Stem Cell Guidelines released February 18 was critically evaluated analysed by experts moderated by Dr. Gopal Pande of CCMB and Mr. Manohar of Stempeutics. The guideline was presented for the first time by Dr. Alka Sharma from Department of Biotechnology after its release the previous day. The program structure focused on key areas such as (i) Comparative analysis of diverse stem cell sources and therapeutic Potential, (ii) Cell Characterization and analysis, (iii) Bio-Material and 3D for Tissue engineering and (iv) Clinicals Perspective to stem cell treat for multispecialty (Ortho, Neuro, Opthalmology and Cardiac). The event was appreciated for involving clinicians perspective to stem cell research. Practicing clinicians cum scientists were key attractions. They were the focal poit for all scientific participants. The event extended with long discussions that involved clinician opinions for extended scientific interventions in iterative product development.
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Speakers: Name Mr. Manohar Dr. Mahendra Rao
Place Bangalore, India USA
Dr. Subhadraw
Organization / University Stempeutics The NIH Center for Regenerative Medicine Tran-Scell Biologics
Dr. Preethi Kapoor
Lonza
Hyderebad, India
Dr. Alka Sharma
DBT
Delhi, India
Dr. Vivek Tanavde
Bioinformatics Institute
Singapore
Dr. Rachna Goyal Dr. Jaywant Phophase
Lonza IGEN, Linkoping University
Hyderebad, India Sweden
Dr. Seeram Ramakrishna
Singapore
Dr. Sourabh Ghosh Dr. Rajkumar Rajgopal
NUS, Center for Nanofibres & Nanotechnology IIT Delhi Cellzyme
Dr. Sudhir Kumar Reddy
ISCO Cell Therapeutics
Hyderebad, India
Dr. Syed Basha Paspala
Continental Hospital
Hyderebad, India
Dr. Balasubramaniam,
LVPEI
Hyderebad, India
Dr. Aejaz Habeeb
Centre for Liver Research & Diagnostics
Hyderebad, India
Dr. Mrinalini Chaturvedi
Cryobanks
Gurgaon, India
Hyderebad, India
Delhi, India Coimbatore, India
Participants: Regenerative Medicine track covered recent discoveries in corneal & cartilage developmental biology. Experts shared their knowledge focusing on the interface of basic and translational research. Participants included developmental Biologists, corneal & retinal surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, stem cell service providers, cryogenic banking and processing service companies, human tissue bank & cell bank scientists, biomaterial research investigators, post-doctoral and graduate students. Number of participants were about 85. Conclusion: Technology conferences of BioAsia 2014 can be rated as a new force to BioAsia's attractions, with its innate ability to pull wider scientific community and research trends. This platform offered opportunities for all interest groups to come together for a purpose. As a result, technology conferences did not leave out any sector unattended for this edition and expects to further widen the spectrum of coverage. The program structure offered solutions to attendees that can be taken to their work place. This opportunity can be scale up with more intensity in the future assuming that the quality of discussion would remain further intensified.
Partners
Date: 19th February Venue: MR 1.03, HICC, Hyderabad
Medical Electronics and Devices track was organized with the support of Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India While the medical electronics and devices industry is growing at a fast annual rate of 15%, India offers significant opportunities for medical device manufacturers domestically and also across the globe to grow at a much faster rate BioAsia's Medical Electronics & Devices track embraced opportunities and challenges in the medical technology industry, including technical, commercial and policy. The conference was inaugurated by Shri Arun Sachdeva, Senior Director (Scientist G), Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. Mr. Arun Sachdeva, representing DEITY, Government of India highlighted the efforts being made in the medical technology ecosystem to stimulate innovation in this space so that the opportunities provided in the Indian market can be capitalized by the companies working in this domain and the Indian consumer of healthcare services stands to benefit.
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The event was structured to have four segments with emphasis on accelerating growth of the sector in India, viz. Medical Technologies – India for India focused on the gap between the supply and demand
such that the Indian production can cater to the local demand than relying on exports. Senior executives from leading companies like Philips, Apollo Group, TUV Rheinland, Underwriters Laboratories, Boston Scientific, spoke about the opportunities in the sector for India. MedTech – Ensuring Quality and Patient Safety brought to the fore the ways and means to enhance patient safety and quality of medical technologies through strengthening the testing and calibration laboratories in India and the potential role that Industry and Government have to play. Leading experts from the Industry, hospitals and also the regulatory bodies presented their perspectives in this important session India as Manufacturing Hub emphasized the benefits of cost economics that India promises to be the manufacturing hub for MedTech. Creating a conducive Policy Environment in India: Way Forward was the highlight of the conference, given the importance of regulatory framework in the growth.
Overall deliberations revolved around the fact that the sector has significantly brought down the incidence of disease among patients, families, society as well as improved the country's health system, significantly. However, the participants highlighted that in India the penetration of medical devices is low and inadequate due to the barriers that prevent their usage. Three major factors were identified as the key growth stimulators: Promotion of the Sector by the Government The Private and Foreign Investments Role Played by Major Competitors in the Medical Technology Sector
The Drivers for Growth of Medical Technology Sector in India
Economic growth leading to higher disposable incomes Increased Public Spending in Healthcare Increased Private Investment in Healthcare Increased Penetration of Health Insurance Emergence of new models of healthcare delivery Public Private Partnership (PPP) route to Innovation
About 75 participants from leading multinationals and domestic manufacturers, consultants, entrepreneurs, Government officials, etc. participated in the discussions. During the event, the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation announced the setting up of a world class medical technology industrial park spread across an area of 50 acres with ready to use incubation center for small and mid-sized investors and “Plug and play” facilities for ease in establishment. The collaboration with Wonju Medical Devices Cluster and Gangwon Techno Park was also announced for import of technologies in order to promote manufacturing in the Country. Challenges faced by the sector as highlighted by the participants during the meeting include Low Penetration; Accessibility; Affordability; Awareness; Nascent Regulatory Environment; Low Indigenous Manufacturing; No Distinct Status of the Industry; Need for Quality Benchmark at par with the Global Standards; Complex Rules and Guidelines; and High Capital requirement.
Speakers: Name
Organization / University
Place
Shri. Arun Sachdeva
Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY)
Delhi, India
Mr. M.R. Srinivas Prasad
Philips Innovation Campus
Bangalore, India
Mr. Ashish Pati
Apollo Group
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Gayatri Vyas Mahindroo
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)
New Delhi, India
Mr. Vibhav Garg
Boston Scientific India Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi, India
Mr. S. Kishore Kumar
Bureau of Indian Standards
New Delhi, India
Mr. A.V.A. Rajendra Prasad
Underwriters Laboratories India Pvt Ltd
Bangalore, India
Mr. G. Kalyan Varma
TUV Rheinland (India) Private Limited
Bangalore, India
Dr. K. T. Venkateswara Rao
Relisys Medical Devices Ltd
Hyderabad, India
Mr. Sudhakar Mairpadi
Philips Electronics India Limited
Gurgaon, India
Dr. N. Srilakshmi
National Institute for Micro, small and Medium Enterprises (ni-msme)
Hyderabad, India
Mr. Dinesh Bundiganavale
Pradin Technologies
Bangalore, India
Shri S. B. S. Reddy
Directorate General of Foreign Trade
Hyderabad, India
Mr. Udit Parekh
Sabio Innovative Solutions
Bangalore, India
Mr. Kwonki (Janes) Kim
Wonju Medical Industry TechnoValley
South Korea
Dr. Shesheer Kumar
RAS Lifesciences
Hyderabad, India
Medical Electronics & Devices Co-Host
Partners
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BIOASIA CONNECT
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BioAsia Connect BioAsia Connect is a dedicated B2B portal for online business partnering, event scheduling at BioAsia, assisting the delegates in their development and licensing activities with handpicked companies from the global lifesciences market at the event. During 2 days of networking 913 business meetings have been scheduled and realized onsite, enabling the participants to discuss new business prospects and commercial agreements in addition to the networking receptions, luncheons and CEO Conclave. 2 Memorandum of Understandings between International delegates and the Indian industries have been signed during the event.
BIO BAZAR
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Bio Bazar With the pharmaceutical industry slowly but certainly shifting towards Bio-pharmaceuticals, this constitutes a major part of the total Biotech market. As of today, Bio-pharmaceuticals accounts for 25% of all pharmaceuticals in the development pipeline. There are currently about 125 Biopharmaceuticals marketed worldwide and appropriately 633 new products are in the pipeline, totalling to over 19% of all new drug development programmes. What's more, 20% of the currently marketed drugs are biotechnologically derived. Keeping this dramatically expanding market in focus and with a view to promoting the Indian Biopharma and Medical device sector, Pharmexcil with the support of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India, successfully organized the International Buyer Seller Meet during BioAsia 2014. Pharmexcil invited 51 International Delegates including scientists, regulatory officials and journalists from various countries (Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ghana, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Pakistan, Peru, Suriname, Thailand, UAE, Uganda, USA, Uzbekistan & Zimbabwe). The meet was scheduled in different sessions between 17th, 18th and 19th of February, 2014 and covered various APIs and Formulations products including biotechnology products. Together with this, 250 Indian registered delegates from 150 companies participated to establish their business relationship with global counterparts. It was noted that the meet successfully helped a lot of registered Indian companies to forge new business partnerships. During the meet, it was also established that in the Pharma sector, companies are required to obtain product registrations in the importing countries and that due to formal protocol; it will take some time to start the export of products as well. Pharmexcil also arranged an audio-visual show about the Strengths of Indian Pharma Industry and presentation was made by the Director General, Pharmexcil on the growing strength of Indian Pharma Industry in World Pharma Trade.
Organised by
INTERNATIONAL TRADESHOW
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International Tradeshow With a special focus on Medical Devices, Scientific & Analytical Equipments, the International Tradeshow at BioAsia 2014 attracted about 89 companies from across the globe and 15 BioAsia Innovation & Young Minds Award shortlisted candidates. The exhibitors' participation included booths from UK, Santa Fe (Argentina), Gangwon (South Korea), Iranian Biotech, Government Bodies such as APIIC, KBITS, ICRISAT, NIPER, DBT-BIRAC, MNCs, domestic companies like Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, GVK Biosciences, BT India, Bharat Biotech, Lonza, Jubilant Lifesciences, GE Healthcare, Springer, Elsevier, Medtronics, Ocimum Biosolutions, Sandu Pharma and many more and Industrial parks like China Medical City, Ticel Biopark, ICICI Knowledge Park, etc. Around 450 visitors participated in the tradeshow during the event.
BIOPARK VISIT
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Biopark Visit BioAsia 2014 featured an exclusive guided visit to the Genome Valley - India's first systematically created lifescience cluster and the largest concentration of multi-tenanted labspace infrastructure in an organized cluster. 115 delegates visited the Genome Valley which entailed tours to the Genome Valley industries, innovation corridors and premier institutions within the cluster with a special visit to the ICICI Knowledge Park (IKP), Bharat Biotech International Ltd. and Nektar Therapeutics (India) Pvt. Ltd facilities in the Genome Valley.
BIOASIA LAUNCHPAD
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BioAsia Launchpad The Inaugural Ceremony of BioAsia 2014 featured the release of the Lifesciences Policy for the State of Andhra Pradesh by Shri Pradeep K Chandra IAS, Principal Secretary to the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Industries & Commerce Department. Life Sciences sector is one of the fastest developing domains in India and the world today. AP has emerged as a leading player in bulk drugs, vaccines and formulations with its strong industrial and Research & Development (R&D) base. In order to build upon our strengths and respond to the rapidly changing global environment for investments in manufacturing and R&D in this sector, Andhra Pradesh has formulated an exclusive Life Sciences Policy, to be implemented in a mission mode over the next 5 years (2014 to 2019). This policy aims to generate Rs. 20000 Crore of new investment and 50000 skilled employment besides augmenting exports to Rs.60000 Crore by 2019. It has specific emphasis on Biotechnology, Medical Devices, Bio-Services, Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals and aims to make Andhra Pradesh a global hub for these industries. A major initiative of the policy is to classify Life Sciences units, including units engaged in R&D for commercial purposes in the Life Sciences domain, as an Industry, thereby enabling them to avail a wide array of benefits such as provision of power at industrial rates as opposed to commercial rates at present, provide uninterrupted power supply for continuous process units and facilitating compliance to regulatory procedures through the Single Window System. The Policy proposes to create a Knowledge Centre in PPP mode for imparting training for skilled individuals that bring specific expertise required to respond to the dynamic needs of Life Sciences Sector. To attract global talent for conduct of cutting edge research in the State, the Government proposes to establish the “Yellapragada Subbarao Life Sciences Scholarship� to promote joint research program of A.P institutions with researchers pursuing post-doctoral India specific life sciences research in top 100 global institutes/universities. It is a known fact that innovation thrives when stakeholders, such as industrialists, investors, entrepreneurs and educational and research institutions, collaborate. To enable such collaborations government will establish the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) where the government, industry and research institutions will come together to sponsor focussed research and promote entrepreneurship. As a part of Infrastructure development, the policy envisages multiple projects, under PPP mode, which are critical for the growth of the sector such as development of vivariums, vaccine testing facilities, Animal quarantine & Bio-security facilities, Medical Devices Park, and dedicated life sciences clusters along the lines of the Genome Valley in Hyderabad etc. These projects will deepen the presence of research & development activity in the state and help our industries move up in the value chain.
The project will be implemented in the mission mode with an officer of Secretary to the state government acting as the mission director. The mission will consist of dedicated officers and sectoral experts to implement all the programmes with speed and professionalism. A Life Sciences Advisory Board, consisting of leading domain experts from industry and academia, will also be constituted to advise government on subsequent policy measures to be taken for enhancing the state's competitiveness in the sector. The other important incentives of the policy include: Continues process industry status 15% of fixed capital investment up to maximum of 20 Lakh for R & Ds 25% of lease rentals for Plug-and-Play Lab Space up to 5000 Sq ft or up to 5 Lakh p.a
subsidy for three years Co-financing private industry sponsored research by R&D institutes up to
25 Lakh per
project per year Collaborative Research Grant to Scientists from at least three AP based R&D institutes and or academic institutions up to 10 Lakh per project per year Reimbursement of costs up to 20 Lakh for Technology acquisition
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MEDIA COVERAGE
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Media Coverage The power and reach of the media was amply demonstrated in BioAsia 2014 which successfully showcased the purpose, business mandate and its goal of bringing together who's who of lifesciences.
Overall coverage categories
140 120 100 80
Overall coverage categories
60 40 20 0 Print
Online
Electronic
Coverage Spread before & during the event
Pre-Event Event
English Print v/s Vernacular Print (Overall coverage)
English Print Vernacular
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FEEDBACK & COMMENTS
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Feedback & Comments “BioAsia has grown into an internationally important conference and the Government of Andhra Pradesh is proud to be a partner in this event. I understand that delegates from about 50 countries around the world have been registered for this prestigious conference. India has emerged as a biotech leader in the global arena, with Andhra Pradesh as a hub and the international participation from 50 countries in BioAsia 2014 is a testimony to India's emerging bio-future and the central role of Andhra Pradesh in the life sciences sector. I wish to congratulate BioAsia 2014 and its organizers, the Department of Industries & Commerce, FABA and Pharmexcil for organizing this highly successful and landmark event in the history of biotech in India.” Shri Pradeep K Chandra IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Industries & Commerce Department, India
“I am pleased to congratulate the organizers on the outcome of the successful Biotechnology International Fair – BioAsia held between February 17th and 19th, 2014. Moreover, I take this opportunity to highlight the space for dialogue and networking promoted by such fair in order to seek innovation in the industrial sector through the convergence of the main stakeholders in the sector, which will allow the promotion of the value added products and technological development. In this framework, it is worth mentioning that this Ministry prioritizes international cooperation in the sector of biotechnology to provide joint solutions to the main challenges posed by the increase of population in the production of food, energy and health. Please accept, the assurances of my highest consideration.” Dr. Lino Baranao, Hon’ble Minister of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina
“Dr. Reddy's is very happy to be the co-host of the event. The pharmaceutical industry that I represent has done great service to not only the country but to the world particularly in making drugs affordable. And I am happy to state that the API revolution began in Andhra Pradesh which has mushroomed ever since as a result of which India has become the leading exporter of APIs, leading supplier of generics to the world and is also helping other countries around the world in bringing down their healthcare costs. The pharmaceutical industry has been a shining example of success in the country and I am happy that events like BioAsia that bring together academicians, industry, regulators to debate on important topics, strengthen the industry overall, strengthen the city, strengthen the economy and in a long term the impact on the economy is tremendous and that is why we are very happy to have supported the event and thank you for giving us this opportunity.” -
Mr. GV Prasad, Chairman & CEO, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, India
“I think it is great that people from all over the world come to India to discuss issues that we share and are important for bringing better healthcare to people around the world. It was really a privilege for me to be a part of this event and a great opportunity to become familiar with what we need to do in India” -
Dr. Bill Hait, Global Head R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica (J&J), USA
“This is the first time I have been to BioAsia and I am very impressed. I think that this is the type of forum that unite the private sector, public sector, non-profit, NGO's towards innovations, towards R&D and towards giving access to new medicines and vaccines. It's very exciting to be here at BioAsia” Mr. Rogerio Ribeiro, SVP & EMAP Area Head, Emerging Markets & Asia Pacific, GlaxoSmithKline, UK
“Thank you again for pulling together such a polished and thoroughly professional event, befitting the impressive cast list of attendees. I think we all felt that it had been well worth the effort and I was personally satisfied that our decision to join as country partner was the right one” Mr. Andrew McAllister, British Deputy High Commissioner to India, Hyderabad
“I would like to thank the organizers for the gracious hospitality which I enjoyed during my brief stay in Hyderabad. Indeed I had the opportunity to meet large number of people during the stimulating discussions. It has been a great experience to see what has been developed here and what is going on. We would be delighted to establish further collaborations with the organization. I enjoyed my participation at BioAsia very much. It has been very pleasant to meet many of the colleagues there and to enjoy the interesting program. I convey my gratitude and also my best wishes to the organizers.” Prof. Dr. Harald zur Hausen, Nobel Laureate of Medicine, Former Scientific Director DKFZ, Germany
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“I am proud to state that this year's edition on many parameters has excelled and far exceeded our achievements of the earlier editions. With significant growth in the number of exhibits, the tradeshow area which was buzzing with activities, networking and meetings. In fact new market opportunities were created for participants during the event, even APIIC, which I represent, with the main agenda to launch a medical devices park near Hyderabad for medical device manufacturers, and with a capacity to accommodate roughly 22 manufacturing units, I am happy to inform that just over a period of three days of BioAsia, we were able to close 10 deals. And I am sure other participants benefitted equally from the business deliberations during the event” -
Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, APIIC, India
“We have benefited much from the event in no small part due to the excellent choreography and the rich exchanges. Well done and I look forward to the next one.” Mr. Tan Yih San, Chief Executive, Intellectual Property Office of Singaporea
“Thank you very much for inviting me. It was a useful session. And I thought some panels including the one on IP were quite interesting.” Mr. Jonathan Kua, Director, Biomedical Sciences Industry Partnership Office (BMS IPO) & Director, Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
“It was a pleasure and a privilege to take part in BioAsia 2014. I thank the organizers colleagues for organising such an impressive programme of speakers, and for drawing together a wide range of participants from academia, industry and government.” Dr. Toby Wilkinson, Head of the International Strategy Office, University of Cambridge, UK
“It was a good experience for me to attend the BioAsia 2014, I enjoyed it very much. Due to my time limit, I only attended a few sessions. I feel that the panel sessions were organized well, the hosts were quite good and effective.” Dr. Baoping Wang, President, Novo Nordisk Research Centre, China
“The Embassy of Argentina in India expresses its deepest appreciation and thankful greetings to the BioAsia authorities, for the valuable assistance received in occasion of the visit of the visit of the delegation of Argentina to Hyderabad. The delegation was very pleased with the highly efficient work, the goals of the visit would not be achieved without the coordination of BioAsia staff. The Embassy of the Argentine Republic avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the BioAsia Authorities, the assurances of its highest consideration.” -
Mr. Raul Ignacio Guastavino, Hon'ble Ambassador of Argentina to India, India
“I enjoyed and benefitted from the participation at BioAsia 2014 and on behalf of COSTI thank you and FABA for the invitation and the support extended.” Prof. Ajith de Alwis, Project Director, Coordinating Secretariat for Science Technology and Innovation (COSTI), Sri Lanka
“I was impressed with the breadth of participation and the opportunity to meet potential partners under one roof.” Dr. Mahendra Rao, Director, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, National Institute of Health, USA
“The experience has been very good at BioAsia 2014 because one of the things that we are focusing on at CPRD are those companies that are doing drug development and organizing clinical trials and we have met quite a few of them here at BioAsia and it has been a very good meeting platform for us.“ Ms. Maggie Massam, Head of Business Development, Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MHRA, UK
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“It's really important to share ideas from around the world and it is fantastic that BioAsia is trying to assemble delegates from different countries and we are all here to share ideas and to learn about what is happening not just here but around the world in terms of Innovation and how the lifesciences industry can really start to play a greater role in the evolving healthcare particularly given some of the challenges that governments have in funding healthcare going forward.” Mr. Chris Stirling, Global Head – Lifesciences, KPMG, UK
“The Government looks at this event as a flagship event of Andhra Pradesh, something that creates the right kind of branding, the right kind of awareness about our efforts and initiatives. With the larger no. of countries participating, larger no. of tracks being introduced, we are happy that event has greater response over the previous years.” Dr. Rajat Kumar, IAS, Commissioner of Industries, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India
“GVK Biosciences has been a patron to BioAsia right from the beginning and has been sponsoring the event for several reasons, one is to encourage industry, science and government interaction and also we find a lot of value in interacting with various dignitaries that come here and conducting business discussions with them. We will continue to support BioAsia in the years to come in order to boost the ecosystem of innovation and interaction of various organizations. I appreciate all the efforts of the Government of Andhra Pradesh and FABA in bringing us all together. Congratulations to the organizers.” -
Mr. Manni Kantipudi, CEO, GVK Biosciences, India
“Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to partner with BioAsia. We really enjoyed the interactions. The BioAsia team did a fantastic job in bringing people together.” Dr. Subir Basak, President Global Drug Discovery, Jubilant Lifesciences, India
“BioAsia over the years has come to symbolize the spirit of biotech industry and is now an eagerly sought after and look forward to conference for the industry. Over the years BioAsia has moved from a generic biotech conference to a more theme based and over the last three years the theme has been vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and the current theme being Innovations which is very apt, given the number of startup enterprises focusing on innovations and the general impetus innovation is receiving in India. KPMG is immensely proud to be associated with BioAsia and for us Innovation is a way of life in every aspect of our own practice. As always, BioAsia continues to attract stalwarts from the industry and academia and this year we have a galaxy of stars, from nobel laureates to CEO of global companies to leading academicians as well as the governmental regulators.” Mr. Utkarsh Palnitkar, Head of Advisory and Life Sciences Practice, KPMG, India
“We have always believed that alongside traditional crop improvement methods, we have to tap and create solutions using new scientific tools and insights. We need to forge strong partnerships within the scientific community in order to cover more ground in a shorter period of time. Thus, more than 7 years ago, we have been associated with Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) and BioAsia. ICRISAT would like to recognize efforts of FABA and BioAsia for the promotion of the biotech space including technology transfer, resource sharing, business collaborations, industryacademe linkage, cross border trade and investments, etc.” -
Dr. William D Dar, Director General, ICRISAT
“I would like to congratulate the organizing committee for putting up such a wonderful show. It was inspiring, exciting and I have learnt a lot by interacting with people and it is a great honour to be among Nobel Laureates and other dignitaries who have done a great work for the sake of humanity.” Dr. Khalid Chowdhary, President - FABA & Chairman & Managing Director, Medipak Limited, Pakistan
“The BioAsia conference is a conference that I look forward to every year. The reason is that it's a very meticulously organized conference and it's great to see the detail to which every session is thought out and planned. I congratulate the team for a stupendous job.” Dr. Vivek Ahuja, Director, Clinical Research & Development, PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health), India 92
Supporting Organizations
Internet Partner:
Media Partners
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Organizers
Event Partner
Knowledge Partner
Principal Industry Host
Country Partner
www.2014.bioasia.in BioAsia Secretariat, 204, B‐Block, Imperial Apartment, Greenlands circle, Ameerpet, Hyderabad ‐500016, India Tel: +91 40 66446477 / 6577 Email: info@bioasia.in