THE MOST
PROMISING
BIOTECH
COMPANIES IN INDIA
Vishroot Jalan
Sandeep Jalan Managing Director 2020 Vol.-09 Issue-4
Editor’s Note SPEARHEADING HEALTHCARE WITH TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
W
ith each passing year, the healthcare sector is witnessing a period of significant transition and achieving new heights. Millions of dollars and plenty of time are spent on R&D activities, on new and successful discoveries to improve human health. The biotech industry is no exception to this technological revolution. Biotech industry organizations are coming together to form a collaborative ecosystem and reach milestones by providing enhanced science, dynamic business strategies, patient centricity, and data-driven solutions to business and society. They are constantly striving to bring differential and high-quality medicines, vaccines and consumer health
products to as many people as possible. With the emergence of continuous production, biotech companies are growing their processing capacity, while at the same time lowering environmental impact, and lowering costs across the range of products being manufactured. As a result, they have successfully applied ground-breaking technology such as AI, XaaS, Artificial Learning, Smart Packaging, among others, to their clinical research processes as they could help them make educated decisions based on high-value results. Biotechnology has had the biggest effect on the health market, having transformed a variety of sectors such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and more. The methodologies of treatment have evolved and new strategies have been developed to tackle multiple deadly diseases. It has tackled a variety of unresolved well-being problems and contributes more to the uplifting of treatment every day. From gene therapy to
Sneha Sinha
vaccine discovery and processing, all leads to the idea of sustainable well-being for everyone. The area of biotechnology is rising further and opening a multitude of possibilities for the future. Biotech firms transforming this field are the main catalysts for the development and progress of biotechnology. In our special edition of “The Most Promising Biotech Companies in India,” we present to you the incredible experiences of some of the leading companies that are changing the market with their ground-breaking and avant-garde technologies and services. On the Cover we have Nivshakti Bioenergy, the largest biotech company in North-East India. It is prime input manufacturer and supplier of Bio-Pesticides, Bio-Insecticides, Bio-Fertilizers, and Bio-Fungicides. It also deals with PGR (Plant Growth Regulators) and Agriculture Enzymes. The issue also features Accurex Biomedical Pvt. Ltd, the first company in India to
manufacture urine test strips and enzymatic clinical chemistry reagents; Dyna Biotech, a company company into design, production, installation, commissioning, automation, integration, and validation of fermentors, bioreactors, and peripheral systems globally; and Sisco Research Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., one of the oldest and most respected manufacturers of specialty fine chemicals, microbiological, nanotechnology and biotechnology reagents. In an Interview, Dr Latha Damle, Director, Atrimed Biotech, shares insights into the working philosophy, quality ethics and solutions that the company is working to deliver. Do go through interesting reads curated by industry experts and our in-house editors. Read on!
Cover Story
08
Nivshakti Bioenergy Delivering Innovative Agri-Solutions for a Greener ‘Poison Free’ World
INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS SUCCESS
16 Atrimed Pharmaceuticals Traditional Knowledge, Modern Pharmaceutical Solutions
CONTENTS 20 Accurex Conveyor for Medical Diagnostic Solutions
CXO
24 Dyna Biotech Leveraging Innovation to Achieve Excellence
26 34 Excellent Biotechnologies
Understanding IUI IUI – The Process, The Results And Its Counselling
TA Leading Biotech Industry
ARTICLE 40 Sisco Research Laboratories Leading the Industry with Excellence
36 Era of Biotechnology Evolution of Biotechnology throughout times
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Managing Editor Sneha Sinha
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AUGUST, 2020
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NIVS
Sandeep Jalan Managing Director
SHAKTI
Bioenergy Delivering Innovative Agri-Solutions for a Greener ‘Poison Free’ World
Cover Story
Vishroot Jalan
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We at Nivshakti Bioenergy aim customer satisfaction by staying committed to offer quality products
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The Most
Promising Companies in India
I
ndustry experts and economists claim that agriculture’s share in Indian economy has progressively declined. However, it still directly or indirectly occupies nearly 50% of the country’s workforce and contributes towards nearly 17% of Gross Domestic Product. Looking at the present global scenario and how population is growing, and rising income in various cities of the country will consequently result in a higher demand for food. However, a point to be noted here is that the radical technological changes, innovations, discoveries, and societal upheavals of the present century has left marks on food as well. Therefore, it has fallen upon the agriculture sector to develop new ways to meet the increasing demand and produce more products in terms of both, better quality, and quantity. So, what does this situation call for? It demands precise agri-solution providers for site-specific crop management. These solutions should integrate real-time data from sensors, farm equipment, weather stations, farm performance record and give accurate analysis and plausible solution to the problem. This way the agri-solution providers can help farmers in making strategic decisions including starting from investment in farmland, crop rotation, soil repair, using fertilizers to even water management. Recognizing this opportunity at the earliest and entering the agriculture market with a new approach, Nivshakti Bioenergy started its journey intending to improve crop yield and farm productivity.
The experts at Nivshakti Bioenergy mitigate risks and implement targeted crop management programs. “Our focus is to provide comprehensive solution to farmers”, quotes Sandeep Jalan, Managing Director of the company. Nivshakti Bioenergy is the largest biotech company in North-East India. It is prime input manufacturer and supplier of Bio-Pesticides, BioInsecticides, Bio-Fertilizers, and BioFungicides. It also deals with PGR (Plant Growth Regulators) and Agriculture Enzymes. Nivshakti Bioenergy today exports its products to 19 countries. The company provides a vast range of products based on all kinds of Beneficiary Microbial Formulations which are manufactured using world’s latest Solid State Fermentation Technology, Lyophilize Technology and Nano Technology. Why Nivshakti Bioenergy? Now that we have established a purview of the company it is important to analyse what makes this company different from others. • Botanical Formulations are derived from the Secondary Metabolites of Plant Extracts •Microbiological Products are manufactured using World’s Latest Solid State Fermentation Technology Lyophilised Technology. • Provide Fresh Stock with Localized strain • Oxy Packed for better Shelf Life • Strains are Hardened Every time • All the products are free from Residue. • All the products are simultaneously tested from TRA and SGS India Pvt Ltd and NABL accredited labs. Frontrunners of Nivshakti Bioenergy Nivshakti Bioenergy is the output of
the intellectual thinking of Sandeep Jalan. Having founded the company, Mr. Jalan also serves as the Managing Director. He is the catalyst of the company who spearheads overall business and operations and is responsible for the strategic and growth initiatives of the organization. A master’s degree holder in Commerce discipline and a first generation Entrepreneur in Biotechnology, he has been heading the Group in diverse development and industrial activities all over the globe. Mr. Jalan’s philanthropic actions are set as an example for others to follow. He is an active contributor and activist at various social charitable organizations. He is linked with few International Organizations such as IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, Bonn, Germany), Chemexcil (Govt. of India), IMO (Institute for Market Ecology, Weinfelden, Switzerland), ICCOA (International Competence Centre for Organic Culture, Nuremburg, Germany) etc. Aiding Mr. Sandeep Jalan in achieving the company’s goal is Mr. Vishroot Jalan who with his technical and business knowledge is strategically planning new breakthroughs for the company. Mr Vishroot Jalan son of Mr Jalan has joined the organisation after doing his MBA. His vision will take the organisation in new hights. Mr Vishroot vision is to “act fast before other think”. Promoting the ‘Ayur’ Way of Farming The company believes in making the world ‘Poison Free’ by manufacturing high quality products with world’s most advanced technologies. All the products of are Nivshakti Bioenergy
are formulated based on ancient Vedic knowledge of PRANA (energy) & PANCHAMAHABHUTA (five basic elements) such as Prithivi (earth), Jal (water), Agni (fire), Akash (space) and Vayu (air).
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“Let’s join hands together to make the world poison free… TO LIVE AND LET LIVE”
The company conceptualized adhering to the values given in Vriksh Ayurveda, Knowledge of life of plants. Ancient agriculture scientists recognized various pests and diseases as major causes for poor growth of plants. They developed organic agents and locally available materials to treat the plant related problems. Adhering to the same, the lab technicians at Nivshakti Bioenergy are always geared up to provide E3 Solutions (Eco-friendly, Economical and Effective). Reaching Every Farmer in the Country We can thus say that the company was founded out of necessity by Mr. Jalan who desired to apply his collective farming knowledge and manufactures bio-fertilizers in a niche market where positive environmental impacts could be made. However, that is not the only thing that the company addressed too. Considering how bio-fertilizers are not common among conventional farmers, Nivshakti Bioenergy ensures that every farmer is aware of the benefits of biofertilizers. It conducts workshops, oneon-one talks and interacts with farmers about the same. “We conduct ‘Farmer meetings’ and Road show promotion to reach in every corner of districts and villages. We perform awareness programs to literate the cultivators on various aspects of cultivation and make them aware of all the latest trends in the present market,” shares Mr. Jalan. Aligning to its mission, this strategy of familiarizing farmers about ‘poison free’ and bio fertilizers, the company
ensures that the strategic distribution of its products are seamless. All that one has to do is log in to the company’s website and find products addressing their crop issues and place the order. Following to this the company functions on a dealer-distributor network system, wherein the products are supplied to the dealers of distributors who further supply it to the retailers. Another greatest advantage that the farmers get while using Nivshakti Bioenergy products is that it allows to verify all its products. “We give free trials to our users to grab confidence in our products,” emphasizes Mr. Jalan. ‘Trust what we say and Verify what we do,’ is the central philosophy of this company. A Peek into the Shop floor Having described about Nivshakti Bioenergy, let us now look at the company’s methodology that enables seamless production and distribution of its products. In-house Designing Facility: The Company’s team of dedicated professional designers, understand the client’s requirement and designs the label / box according to the product portfolio with dynamic new ideas. Supreme In-house Packaging Facility: The company has best supplier of HDPE bottle, high quality Aluminium Pouches, Corrugated Boxes to pack its products. These bottles and boxes are made by the best quality raw materials with many shapes and options. Re-packaging & Labelling: Nivshakti Bioenergy manufactures Liquid, Powder, Granule products. It has highly equipped machineries for refilling, labelling outer packaging.
The company can also supply material/ product in client’s own brand name if desired. Transportation Facility: This company provides best transport facilities which arranges the shipment according to the destination with the best suitable means of transport (Road, Rail, Sea, Air). It also provides the facility of tracing the shipment with the regular transporter and ensures timely delivery to its respective clients. Regulatory Affairs: Nivshakti Bioenergy has a separate department to look after the Regulatory Affairs which includes preparation of Dossiers, Physio Chemical Data, MSDS, Custom Clearance etc. as per the requirement for registration in any country.
product to nearly 7lac farmers and 1.5 lacs distributor in India. Further to this in 25 country nearly 20,000 related organisations. Towards a Poison-Free Cultivation From the all the above we can be certain of one thing which is, using bio-fertilizers equals to producing organic crops. And thus, the continuous endeavour of Nivshakti Bioenergy to promote using bio-fertilizers and the growing demand of organic food will soon lead the world to use ‘poisonfree’ products. While prioritizing the actual goal, Nivshakti Bioenergy is also scale up for major organizational changes.
Making Lasting Differences We had claimed that offering comprehensive conclusive solutions to farmers is the prime goal of Nivshakti Bioenergy. Though we are familiar with its bio-fertilizers, the company has conceptualized bigger and grander plans.
“We definitely eye on overall growth of company and every individual related to this organisation. It is one of the toughest challenges. The success depends on your efforts to grow profits using various methods. From employee training to marketing, every aspect of your business deserves attention. Rapid growth does not happen overnight.
Considering how technology is being used to offer real-time and customercentric solutions, Nivshakti Bioenergy too has designed an app that enables farmers to avail customized solutions. This will help farmer on recent advancements and even solutions to all their farming, production and crop yielding related queries This can be download from google app store
We strongly focus on our vision to achieve maximum customer satisfaction by providing Cost Effective Bio Products by means of our Transparent Business Practices. In course of time we would like to see Nivshakti Bioenergy’s presence in the entire globe and nurturing with organic products to keep safe this mother earth,” adds Mr. Jalan.
Further to this the website, www.agrihelp.co provides farmers with inputs in competitive price. Furthermore, the website also acts as an aggregator of all distributors, suppliers and even manufactures who can with and either promote or sell their products. This will help manufacturers to showcase their
The future plan for the company also includes launching a portal where it will connect farmers to Manufacturers. This portal will help farmers to get quality products in competitive prices, and on the other hand the manufacturers can reach customers pan India as well as 25 additional countries.
Nivshakti Bioenergy has a database of 7 lakh farmers and 1.3 lakh Distributors / retails / agents. Agrihelp.co will be a platform where everything is available on single window including real-time consultations. The consulting app can be downloaded from the play store and the website will be live by middle of next month. To reach them: sandeep@shaktibiotech.in & vishroot@shaktibiotech.in Visit: www.shaktibiotech.in & www.agrihelp.co
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Atrimed
Biotech Traditional Knowledge, Modern Pharmaceutical Solutions
Using this ancient wisdom to find a cure for the modern-day ailments, is Atrimed Biotech, a start-up, aimed at carrying out high quality research and developmental activities. These activities are reinforced and driven by qualified professional staff from diverse fields of science. It is fostered by a group of healthcare and research professionals, who have extensive experience in the field of phytochemistry, biotechnology and clinical medicine. Atrimed’s founders are individuals who are actively involved in human healthcare and research and developmental activities. Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Latha Damle is an Ayurvedic physician with post graduate degree in plant pharmacology and a fellowship in the field of medicinal chemistry at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University Toyama, Japan. She has also acquired proficiency in chromatographic
16 | September 2020
analysis which is the backbone of natural products research. Dr Latha Damle’s research is propelled by her insight that therapeutic efficacy cannot be attributed to one molecule but to a combination of multiple complimentary molecules, also known as Poly-pharmacology. She studies the biological activity of complimentary molecules.She has developed new methods of extraction of unique chemicals from plants, their standardization and measurement of their presence in the final product. Dr Latha, with her understanding of plant chemistry, knows that the time of collection of plant material and
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We have been working in this field through a critical process to discover, refine and test out the safety and efficiency of plant-based medicines
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A
ncient India was a land of wisdom and is said to be much advanced than the civilization today is. Ayurveda or the system of medicine is just one of many advanced practices that were prevalent. However, with time, these ancient teachings which were once lost, have now been rediscovered with the modern world now recognizing the power of alternative medicine.
parts of the plants to be used for optimum extraction are of prime importance. With her background in clinical pharmacology and medicine, she has evaluated the efficacy of these Phyto-molecules against various diseases. In this Interview, Dr Latha shares insights into the working philosophy, quality ethics and solutions that Atrimed is working to deliver. Kindly share more details about Atrimed. At Atrimed Biotech, we have active collaboration with pharmaceutical companies to conduct research into authenticating and investigating old medical concepts through modern methods, resulting in development of potential leads to new pharmaceutical products. Quality and ethics are inherent to the organization. Atrimed has policies and procedures to safeguard the highest quality standards and assured therapeutic efficacy. Our research professionals demonstrate world-class competence and aptitude, with the support of robust infrastructure. The main strategy is based on integrated discovery, several approaches to development and specific disease proficiency (inflammation, infection, immunomodulation etc). Atrimed Biotech is an LLP, incubated at the Bangalore Bioinnovation
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INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS SUCCESS Centre (BBC), Bangalore Helix Biotech Park, Institute for Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bangalore. Kindly tell us about the prominent services and solutions that Atrimed offers. We are involved in widespread research of phytochemicals and their applications in the field of medicine. Currently our focus is to develop therapeutics for autoimmune diseases that lead to inflammation, such as psoriasis; and in skin infections such as acne, and other bacterial and fungal infections. Our research is also focused on other aspects of human health, such as wound healing, antiaging etc.
Dr Latha Damle, Director and Chief Scientific Officer
We have gained potential leads to breakthrough remedies in treating psoriasis and acne. These leads will be interpreted and analysed by our team, to elucidate the mechanism of action of the therapeutics, using several chemical, biochemical, immunological and tissue culture techniques. The research team has a great insight into ancient knowledge and expertise in human diseases, plant chemistry and biotechnology. We corroborate old concepts through modern methods, which include lab tests and clinical trials in collaboration with highly reputed independent medical research centres and hospitals. We are thus able to translate old wisdom into new and fuse them efficiently. What is the present scenario of the industry? How are you contributing to making it better? The current pandemic situation increased difficulties in every industry, and Ours is also not
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Dr Hrishikesh Damle, Founder and CEO 17| September 2020
spared. Most players are invested in COVID-19 research. We are focused on the current situation and market opportunities providing immunomodulator products, advanced plant-science-based sanitizer along with our existing products. Our Team is also working on different aspects of COVID-19. Our E-lecture series AtrimedX focused on insights and awareness about COVID. We started Telemedicine practices in our Mahila clinics to benefit the needy patients and enable them to stay safe at home. Atrimed has done extensive research on Covid 19 targets and a Virucidal (anti-viral) drug of Herbal origin is going for Phase -2 trial. The drug has proved safe and effective in killing the virus in Invitro studies.
Among number of competitors, how have you managed to stay at the top of the ladder? What are the characteristics that set you apart? We are using modern and cutting edge science to improve over traditional ayurvedic medicine. This is what makes us different from our competitors in terms of drug development or effective products. We offer very niche' products lines and focus on the quality. Conceptualising every scenario helps us to deliver the best in the segment. There are many things we can gain and learn from plants & nature, and we are trying to do that. What are the latest developments that you have identified in your field of focus? How do you ensure to stay at pace with them? \
We are into drug discovery for COVID19. We will soon announce a breakthrough. We are also working on snake venom neutralisation and cancer Immunology. What are your future plans for the company? Where do you see the company in the years to come? We launched plant science-based face wash and Hand sanitizer in last month. We will soon launch a range of plant-science based beauty and healthcare products. We are working on to create products which are more efficient than average herbal products with the help of advanced research and medical science. The demand for natural products is increasing day by day future looks extremely bright for us.
KEY ADVISERS TO THE COMPANY Dr Shiban Ganju MBBS, MD (Gastroenterology) Founder and Chairman, Atrimed Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. Dr Ganju is the founder, chairman of Atrimed Pharmaceuticals. His experience has spanned over the years, in India and the USA, in various disciplines of healthcare, including tertiary clinical care, public health and business. He worked as a consultant at The University of Chicago Ingalls Hospital and Advocate Healthcare, Illinois. Formerly, he was the CEO of Reliance Health & Technology, director Prakriya Hospitals, an adviser to InnovatioCuris Inc. and other organizations. He was also the founder of Indo-American Medical Association, Illinois. Besides participating in policy making and think tanks, he also served in the Indian army.
Dr Hrishikesh Damle BAMS, MD Founder and CEO, Atrimed. Dr Hrishikesh Damle is the founder, CEO and Managing Director of Atrimed. He is a physician, trained in Ayurveda with post-graduation degrees in plant pharmacology and clinical pharmacology. He quit his wellestablished medical practice to pursue entrepreneurship in 2003. Dr Damle, with passion for science and infectious optimism, assembled scientists of multiple disciplines under one umbrella to achieve a common objective: new drug discovery from plant molecules.
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Accurex
Conveyor for Medical Diagnostic Solutions
W
hile most pharmaceutical companies use only chemical and generally artificial materials to create drugs, the paradigm shift is now towards using live organisms or their byproducts, such as bacteria or enzymes, to manufacture drugs. This has given rise to the Biotech’ companies.
In biotech companies, the focus is often on science and how it can be used to solve complex healthcare issues. In this setting, the value of the technology is defined by its ability to solve these problems. This, of course, comes with a much higher risk on the side of biotech companies, but considering the value so early in the process and building a company around the ethos of solving challenging problems is key to understanding what makes a Biotech company. One such company is Accurex. In 1984 almost 100% of the diagnostic reagents were imported into India. Mr A.J. Thakur founded Accurex in 1984 to indigenize the manufacturing of imported reagents in India. Accurex was the first company in India to manufacture urine test strips and enzymatic clinical chemistry reagents. This was the beginning of the IVD clinical chemistry manufacturing industry of India. The journey of Accurex since 1984 has been on a growth trajectory. With the continuous launch of innovative products, Accurex has created a brand name in the Indian IVD Industry. Let’s trace the growth with the team: Kindly provide a brief overview of your products and services. In the laboratory diagnostics space, Accurex offers the
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Managing Director
About the leader Abhinav Thakur, the current Managing Director, was studying in the USA when, unfortunately, his father passed away prematurely. He came back to India to run the company for his family. At that point of time motivation for him was survival of the family business. Now the motivation is to grow the company so he can have an impact on the healthcare industry by manufacturing affordable and high quality medical diagnostic products. Since his appointment as Managing Director of Accurex the company has grown 4.2 times in revenue and our team size has increased from 90 to 170 individuals. It has moved from a diagnostic reagent company to diagnostics reagents and instruments company.
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The journey of Accurex since 1984 has been on a growth trajectory. With the continuous launch of innovative products Accurex has created a brand name in the Indian IVD Industry
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The importance of going green in pharma can be gauged by the fact that Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, two of the largest pharma companies in the world by revenue, also have numerous biological therapies. Clearly differentiating based on a company’s assets or services is no longer valid.
Abhinav Thakur
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The Most Promising Biotech Companies in India entire range of clinical chemistry and haematology reagents. In Instruments, we offer semi-automated, fully automated clinical chemistry, 3 part, and 5 part haematology analysers. We also offer urinalysis test strips, urinalysis meters, and immunology rapid tests.
Its an honour for Accurex is contributing to the reduction of healthcare cost to patients and ultimately to our country.
In the Point Of Care (POC) segment we offer blood glucose meters, haemoglobin meters, HbA1c meters, immunofluorescence meters, uric acid meters, and respective test strips.
We at Accurex believe wealth creation leads to wealth distribution. So it’s our endeavour to create prosperity so we can contribute towards the economic development of India.
With regards to your organization’s profound industry experience, how do you think the chemical industry and market have evolved and what can be expected in the forthcoming years?
What obstacles and/or limitation does your organization face while growing, sustaining or retaining its clientele?
The diagnostics industry in getting disrupted by point of care (POC) testing. Point-of-care testing (POCT), or bedside testing is defined as medical diagnostic testing at or near the point of care—that is, at the time and place of patient care. This contrasts with the historical pattern in which testing was wholly or mostly confined to the medical laboratory, which entailed sending off specimens away from the point of care and then waiting hours or days to learn the results, during which time care must continue without the desired information. POC testing is getting popular in the medical diagnostic industry. Through POC testing the lab tests are available at the doctors and patients at home. This is convenient to the patient. Accurex has launched a complete range of POC products to ensure faster and convenient testing. What are the benefits gained by your clients/users from your products/solutions/services? Diagnostics affects 70% of medical decisions and in only 3% of the healthcare costs. There is a dire need in India to reduce the ever-increasing cost of health care and diagnostics plays a pivotal role in the efficient use of resources. India is till date dependent on imports for its IVD needs with almost 80% of IVDs being imported. The cost of manufacturing in the developed world is many times higher than the cost of manufacturing in India consequently by manufacturing indigenous products Accurex lowers the healthcare costs in India. By using preventive diagnostics effectively we can prevent diseases in advance and significantly lower the cost of health care in India.
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In what ways does your organization contribute towards the Corporate Social Responsibility cause?
The diagnostics industry is capital intensive because the business model in our industry is moving towards analysers being placed on reagent rentals. In order to place analysers on reagent rental, we have a large capital requirement. This is the challenge we face in our industry. Could you list out the most growth-deteriorating challenges for your organization till date? Service is key in the diagnostics industry. The analysers need a fast turn around time (TAT) in case of breakdown. Providing service in a large geographical country like India with underdeveloped infrastructure is a challenge. What does the future hold for your organization in terms of internal as well as holistic development? Now the motivation for me is to grow the company so I can have an impact on the economic development of our country. I strongly believe that strong economic development is the antidote the poverty. The next major milestone for me in this decade will be getting Accurex listed on the exchange. Would you like to highlight any awards, accolades or testimonials your company has achieved throughout? Ranked #10 in BioSpectrum Top 20 Indigenous Medical Devices & Diagnostics Companies 2019 Survey Selected as “Visionary leader in Healthcare 2017” by Medgate Magazine. Ranked at number 19 BIOTECH companies ranking by Biospectrum Magzine analysis done by KPMG Altina Entrepreneurs Excellence Award,2017 in healthcare category. Indias most Innovative and Valuable Medical Devices Company 2017.
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Dyna Biotech Leveraging Innovation to Achieve Excellence
Few industry experts claim that, we will be soon entering into the era of digitized medicine and well-networked laboratories. They have also predicted that health data will spread across the people and will be pervasive, which will affect both health insurers and medical services Providers. These upcoming trends have created growth opportunities for many industry participants such as healthcare service providers, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical technology manufacturers. Recognizing the same, some of the world’s most leading medical device, biopharma and biotech product development firms are at the helm of this ever-changing innovation trail, and Dyna Biotech is leading the way. The company is into design, production, installation, commissioning, automation, integration, and validation of fermentors, bioreactors, and peripheral systems globally. A Matter of Precision and Efficiency Dyna Biotech is faithfully committed and esteemed manufacturer and supplier of world class equipment. It bears the crown of having all the product range from upstream to downstream equipment manufacturing. The company manufactures Biotech equipment like Fermentors, Bioreactors, Process Vessels, Cleaning and sterilization
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Dr. Vinodkumar Patil Founder
Empathy and understanding towards the need of clients makes us unique
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ver the past years, advanced diagnostic, improved drugs and HealthTech & MedTech innovations have significantly improved life expectancy and the quality of life. Industry experts are expecting significant changes to shake up the healthcare landscape in the next few years
systems, Filter Housings, Microfiltration and ultrafiltration (TFF) Systems and other equipment, all of which are governed by ASME, TUV-NORD, ISO certification and 21 CFR automation guidelines. At Dyna Biotech, Automation is the connective link of fermentation/ Bioreactor; upstream and downstream system. The company has an in house development team for automation, led by experts. This team has extensive knowledge and experience of making system work remotely. The engineers are responsible for maximum automation and testing of the equipment. The team of Dyna Biotech includes experts in Telecommunications, operation and designing in PLC, HMI, SCADA, DCS, Automation Control Panels, Panel Layout and Maintenance. Finding and Maintaining Balance It is now evident that the company occupies the niche of
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The Most Promising Biotech Companies in India specialized bioreactor manufacturing and automated customized-fermenter and is already leading the industry. However, that is not the prime factor that sets this company apart from other biotech companies. Dyna Biotech constantly strives to achieve balance between the functionality and affordability of its products while prioritizing the efficiency and quality of all the products. “We ensure healthcare is an inevitable aspect of any society across the globe. And hence we manufacture the world class equipment in affordable cost. This equation is very important, as more affordable you make equipment; more you can ensure the healthcare facility to one and all,” comments Dr. Vinodkumar Patil, the Founder of the company. The below-mentioned pointers enable the company to achieve the aforesaid goal along with evolving as a globally leading Biotech equipment manufacturer. • Making strategic investments in R&D, seeking new applications for the company’s existing range of products and driving the expansion and diversification of its product portfolio into new sectors and markets • Offering value-added customer service and technical support and to deliver the product on time’ • Constantly and energetically seeking to improve the company’s system, reinforcing its dedication for product and process improvement • Maintaining a high quality workforce with equal opportunities for all and producing the highest quality products of good validation, quality control and by maintaining standards allowing consistent, reliable and accurate results Another feature that sets the company apart from other is its client-centric approach. Starting from design, installation, commissioning, production, integration, automation and validation is monitored adhering to the requirements and demands of the clients. The equipment installed in Biopharma industries are the soul of the manufacturing, thus it is a very serious and accountable responsibility for company like Dyna Biotech. Establishing a Global Presence American author, Earl Nightingale quoted, “Everything begins with an idea” and so bringing a paradigm shift in Biotechnology and Biopharma industries globally was the idea of Dr. Vinodkumar Patil and thus he established Dyna
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Biotech. Although being a Microbiologist by qualification, Dr. Patil’s experience, vigilance, and meticulous hard work in the field of engineering makes him excel in the field of Biotechnology as well. He is an expert in antibiotics production, steroid biotransformation, cell culture, vaccine process development, production, scale-up, optimization, validation and product launch. He also has, to his credit the experience of working under the Regulatory guidelines like, FDA, EMEA, cGMP and WHO and is well versed with it. Under visionary guidance of Dr. Patil, Dyna Biotech has successfully made its presence felt in international markets. The company serves the clients located at countries including South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Turkey, Germany and United States. Considering the growing demand, Dr. Patil established an international marketing, sales & service office at Bangkok, Thailand. It is an eight member team along with Dr. Patil constantly strives to achieve the company’s goal. “We strongly believe serving the international market allows generating foreign currency for development of the nation as well as society. This commitment in the sector of healthcare is a valuable compassion of Dyna Biotech team towards the national and international society. This makes us matchless and outstanding above all other players in the domestic & international market,” shares Dr. Patil Pursuing Excellence and Innovation We can thus conclude that this company which started off with a goal of providing predictive and personalized systems and has now emerged as a brand in the market for its automated fermentor, bioreactor products. However, the Biotech and Pharmaceutical industries are always evolving and developing and hence, it is a challenging task to manufacture a Bioreactor, fermentor & other necessary equipment while being par with industry innovations. However, Dyna Biotech tackles this challenge by sticking to one principle; meeting the demands of its clients on time. “Dyna Biotech ensures the ease of manufacturing for its clients. Our on-time delivery strategy aligned with flawless workmanship & perfect blend of automation makes the equipment unique and innovative. The innovation for Dyna Biotech is continuous process; we are always ready to accept the challenges,” concludes Dr. Patil.
25| September 2020
Understanding IUI
IUI
The Process, The Results And Its Counselling
Dr Ritu Hinduja
26 | September 2020
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Ritu Hinduja is a Senior Consultant Reproductive Medicine at NOVA IVF ( Andheri, Mumbai ).A native of Mumbai, she completed her Medicine from a town near the city of Nagpur called Wardha. She has a decade long experience in field of Fertility and IVF. In her career she has helped close to 6000 plus couples achieve their dream of parenthood. She has strikingly good success rates ,which can be vouched by parents who have conceived with her. Dr. Ritu Hinduja is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. While pursuing her studies she developed a keen interest in the field of Infertility which she nurtured by completing Masters in Reproductive Medicine from Homerton University, London, she has also received a Diploma in Reproductive Medicine from Keil University, Germany and a Fellowship in Infertility from Institut Marques - Spain & Assuta Hospital – Israel. Added to this she also carries a Certificate in Genetic Counselling. Her passion and dedication resulted in her being a leading expert in all techniques of Assisted Reproduction. Dr.Ritu’s research and clinical interests include fertility preservation, poor ovarian reserve and Pre Implantation Genetic Testing. During Her career she has received many awards and accolades for her excellent work in the field of Infertility and Reproductive Medicine a few of them are mentioned below
AWARDS / PRIZES 1. MOGS - Shantabai Gulabchand Travelling Fellowship award 2. MOGS - C G Saraiya Travelling Fellowship award 3. MOGS - Banuben Nanavati Travelling fellowship award 4. MOGS - Dr Pramila Bhatia Award for Best research work done 5. MOGS: Dr H S Palep Award for Best Research work in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss 6. FOGSI - Dr Shanti Yadav Award for Best research in Infertility 7. FOGSI - Dr Kumud Tamaskar Award for Best research in Infertility 8. FOGSI - Chorion award for Best research 9. Wonder FOGSIAN Award 10. Champion of ISAR Award 11. ISAR YUVA Orator 12. Recipient of the Best paper award at MOGS annual conference 2017 and 2018, FEM conference 2017 13. Central Asia Regional Conference organized by Association of Medical women in India 2010 14. Best Poster award at the Annual Conference of AMOGS 2009
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She is the author of numerous scientific papers and chapters and has lectured at National and International meetings and conferences. She is also an Editor of NOVAS"Handbook of Infertility 7th Edition: Abnormalities of the Pelvis." and Nova’s’ Text Book of Infertility. She has been a part of many decision-making panels as an expert and is a reviewer for many scientific journals. Dr. Ritu Hinduja is a proud Elected Member of the Managing Committee Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction 2020-22 & also an elected Youth council Lead of the Mumbai Society of Obstetrician and Gynaecology (MOGS) She loves to smile, and her patients are instantly put at ease with her warm smile. She is a Happy mom of a daughter. Her hobbies include Reading for herself and to her little one and travelling with her daughter. She strongly believes in debunking myths, breaking taboos and clearing misconceptions about Fertility & IVF and is constantly striving towards it.
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I
ntra uterine Insemination (IUI) is a type of artificial insemination in which actively motile sperms are injected directly into the uterine cavity near the time of ovulation. This procedure can be performed either with partner’s sperms or with sperms from a donor. It is considered the first-line treatment for unexplained infertility, mild endometriosis, or mild male factor infertility. IUI may increase the chances of conception of the couple if the patient selection is done correctly.
History Taking
Investigations of Female
Often couples undergoing an IUI cycle need support and counselling because of the emotional stress they are going through.
Investigations of Male
Semen Analysis
• Hormonal Evalation:AMH TSH, PRL
• TVS Ultrasound • Tubal patency- by
Couples who decide to opt for fertility treatments, tend to have a plethora of questions and often seek some guidance. Common Questions that they tend to ask are
laparoscopy or HSG
1) What will the entire process be like? 2) Will the treatment or any step involved in it have any side effects or risks? 3) Is the decision for going for IUI the right one? 4) What is the success rate of the procedure? 5) How many times will I have to opt for it? 6) What are the precautions or care we need to take while the procedure is going on and even after the procedure is done? 7) What are the finances involved? And many more. ………
Ovulation Induction/ Ovarian stimulation
Trigger when Optimal follicular size is achieved
During this time a proper counselling from the treating doctor and a fertility counsellor can help put the couple at ease and alleviate most of their concerns.
Perform IUI
Algorithm 1: Steps before the IUI process
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) Treatment varies for every couple and involves a basic few steps before the artificial insemination process takes place. Summarized in the algorithm below (Algorithm 1)
Trigger if lead follicle size 18-20 mm
Clomiphene citrate 50/100mg OR letrozole 2.5/5 mg
Figure 1: A typical Ovarian stimulation before an IUI cycle
Day 2
*
Day 6
Day 9
Day 11
Day 13 - IUI
Consider adding Gonadotropins
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After a thorough history taking and evaluation when an IUI treatment cycle is advised the treatment cycle is started on day 2/3 of the menstrual cycle. Ovarian stimulation is done with the help of either oral ovulogens or injectable gonadotropins in the decided dose.Regular transvaginal ultrasounds are done on day 6, day 9 and day 11 of the menstrual period to monitor the growth of the follicles, once the lead follicles reaches a desired size of 18 to 20 mm a trigger injection is given and an IUI is done 36 to 48 hour later (Figure 1).The follicle ruptures around 36 hours after the trigger injection, and the egg once the follicle ruptures can survive for 24 hours. The IUI can be done 48 hours after the trigger injection because the process of capacitation is done in the lab. During the procedure, the male partner will be asked to provide a semen sample about an hour or two before being scheduled for insemination. This is done by masturbating into a sterile container at the doctor’s office or at home. The semen is “washed” to separate the sperm from the seminal fluid. This must be done before the sperm can be injected into the uterus because the seminal fluid contains substances that can irritate your uterus. The sample once processed should be inseminated within an hour of preparation.
Couple is received in the waiting area
Paper work and reports will be checked
Time of trigger taken confirmed
Rupture confirmed on TVS Ultrasound
How doing an IUI may increase chances of getting pregnant ? It reduces the effect of factors such as, • Vaginal acidity • Cervical mucus hostility • Deposit motile morphologically normal sperms as close to the oocyte as possible, as close to the time of ovulation as possible • Sperm wash techniques enhance fertilising capacity of the sperms • IUI increases the number of sperms reaching the ampullo-isthmic junction How does sperm washing before doing an IUI help? •
Male Partner sent for semen collection
Female partner is asked to drink water and keep her bladder full
Once the semen sample is Ready 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
Patient identification done Sample verification done Patient is taken in the IUI suite IUI process done Patient rests for 5 minutes Luteal phase support medicine prescribed
• • • •
How does stimulating the ovaries for an IUI process help? • • • • •
• Post IUI counselling done follow up after 15 days
Algorithm 2: What to expect on the day of the IUI
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Getting rid of debris, abnormal sperms, dead sperms, seminal plasma Picking up good motile sperms In vitro capacitation Concentrates the motile sperms into small volume Eliminates prostaglandin form semen sample and there by does away with any contractions that may occur in the uterus due to the prostaglandin reaction
Increasing the number of eggs available for fertilisation Overcoming subtle defects in ovulatory function and luteal phase Controlling the timing of ovulation We can time the insemination Stimulated ovaries come closer anatomically to the fimbrial end of the fallopian tubes hence facilitating egg pick up by the fallopian tube may affect tubal vascularity to enhance ovum pick up mechanisms
How is the process of IUI done? The procedure is ideally carried out in a dedicated insemination room or the theatre with the sterilised instruments laid out on a trolley
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• Immediately after semen preparation (within 90 minutes of collection). • Sample is maintained at 37°C in a test-tube warmer / held in a fist. Can be kept outside at room temperature, but not for long periods. • Patient is asked not to void her bladder, to help correct the anteversion of the uterus • Once the bladder is full, Lithotomy position is given Cervix is exposed with a bivalve (Cusco’s) speculum • Patient identification is done by the doctor and the andrologist • It is confirmed with the patient wether donor sample or husband sample is being used • Insemination is done with a plastic cannula with or without ultrasound guidance • Patient is asked to rest for 5 minutes then asked to void bladder completely • Luteal phase support is prescribed for the next 15 days • UPT or Bhcg is done after 15 days which tell us if the woman is pregnant or not ` Counselling sessions help to recognize various psychosocial and emotional problems faced by couples having fertility issues. The counsellors help to resolve the issue by conducting various therapies and counselling sessions.
A) A dedicated IUI suite
B) Trolley set for an IUI process
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There are various types of counselling sessions for the couples who are facing infertility issues. They include – 1. Pre-treatment counselling which is a prior session before starting the fertility treatment. This counselling depends on what type of fertility treatments the couple is taking. The discussion involved in Pre-treatment counselling includes• Explore and discussion of any issue that might affect the treatment. • Usually, couples might get confused about the medication which can affect the treatment. Pre-treatment counselling helps to understand the medical advice given to the couple during the treatment. • Helps the couple to understand the rights, psychosocial, and ethical implications, responsibilities, and any legal consideration to be taken care of. • The important details and information which the couple is not aware of are also clarified during this session. How successful is IUI? Couples are often curious to know about Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) treatment’s success rate and wonder if it could help them conceive and get pregnant. There are various factors which affect the IUI treatment’s success rate. There are – 1. Age of a woman undergoing the IUI treatment. 2. Status of the Fallopian tube 3. Status of the Semen analysis With just one IUI cycle, around 10 to 20 percent of women have the chances of getting pregnant. The success rate of IUI treatment with one cycle with terms of age is as follows – • 10 to 20 percent success rate for women under 35 years of age. • 10 percent success rate for women between the age of 35 to 40 years. • 2 to 5 percent success rate for women of the age 40 years and above.
15%. Around 80% of the pregnancies occur within the first three IUI cycles. So if the couple has not conceived in the first three cycles they need to be counselled for advanced treatment option like IVF. Precautions Since this is a relatively simple and safe procedure, it does not require any special precautions. Only a few minutes of rest after the procedure and then the woman can resume her routine. The woman needs to make sure that she takes her luteal support medication as prescribed. Possible complications Apart from mild pain and spotting on the day of an IUI, there are no major complications. Around five to ten percent of the patients may conceive with multiple (generally twin) pregnancies. Sometimes, a patient may respond excessively to the medications and produce more eggs, putting her at risk for multiple pregnancies and a condition called Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS). If there is a risk of this occurring, the couple is advised accordingly and the cycle may be cancelled or converted to an IVF cycle. Infection is a very rare complication. Most of the couples need counselling to determine whether the IUI treatment is right for them or not, before moving forward with other expensive and intensive treatments like IVF. It is better to consult a doctor and a counsellor who can show the right direction. Patients who are suffering from issues like anxiety, emotional stress are offered with strategies to cope up with the problems. These can help them to carry out with the treatment smoothly. Counselling is basically a comprehensive approach that helps an individual or couples to cope up with the unusual amount of stress they go through because of infertility issues. Counsellor’s goal is to find out the strength, weakness, and support the networks, to make the patient feel better about themselves during an IUI cycle.
Worldwide, the success rates for IUI is an average of about
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31| September 2020
The Most Promising Biotech Companies in India
A Leading Biotech Industry
E
nzymes, the naturally occurring protein unit in animals and plants are responsible for facilitating a lot of chemical reactions in them. They can be extracted and used for multiple purposes in the healthcare industry and the chemical industry.
Mr. Gulzar Managing Director
Right from helping our body in digestion to helping us do laundry and ďŹ ght tough stains, enzymes ďŹ nd their use in our daily life, without our realization. Harnessing this power of enzymes and making them a part of our healthcare routine is Excellent Biotechnologies, a Biotech Company with its headquarters in Bengaluru. Excellent Biotechnologies was founded in 2008 and initially it started with the formulation of Animal Health care products. Later in the year of 2010, it started manufacturing enzymes and is now engaged in manufacturing and marketing of enzymes for Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals and Animal Health care across the globe. Catalysing Solutions Excellent Biotechnologies strives to provide high-quality enzymes. A team comprising of personnel from various disciplines and biotechnologists work towards meeting the customers'
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Excellent Biotechnologies has dedicated production facilities, good marketing network and foreign collaborations too. The company has geared up to march ahead in facilitating its consumers with all the latest developments that have taken place in biotech with regards to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. Its main products include Bromelain, Serratiopeptidase, Pancreatin, Papain, Pepsin, Diastase and other enzymes. A Determined Entrepreneur Things, when done for the first time, might seem mountainous. However, with strong determination and dedication of our time, talent and efforts we can achieve success. It was with such strong determination, hard work and dedication of Mr. Gulzar, the Managing Director, that made Excellent Biotechnologies to reach this level. The Founder and MD, Mr Gulzar, was born in a remote village Jog, near Sagar in Shimoga district of Karnataka, India. Right from his childhood, he was very fascinated with nature and its science. With this deep interest in nature and curiosity, he started observing the minute details of each and everything around him. He started reading books to gather information about all these and gaining knowledge. Backed by formal studies and his research, he started making Biotech products with the available sources in a small facility. Looking for clients and convincing them with his products was a difficult task for him. But with his sincere effort and honesty, his products were approved by the companies. His products gave better results practically in the field of poultry. With continuous efforts and hard work, the company grew. The timely improvement and standardization of different products made this company improve and achieve the goals. The quality of the products he provided in the field of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical was up to the mark. And soon got recognized by the different biotech and pharma companies worldwide. Over a few years, with the teamwork of people working in the company it became successful.
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“
Excellent Biotechnologies, a Leading Biotech Industry engaged in manufacturing and marketing of Enzymes for Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals and Animal Health care products across the globe
“
requirements and the objective of continuous improvement in quality. It is majorly manufacturing enzymes for industries like Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals and Animal Nutrition.
Keeping up with the Standards Excellent Biotechnologies follows Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) as laid by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in respect of manufacturing and testing of their products. Excellent Biotechnologies is currently Certified with, ISO9001:2015, WHO:GMP, HACCP, Halal and Kosher. The company gives the best quality products with a minimum margin and some of its products are unique in the market. It is looking forward to increase its production volume to meet the growing clients’ requirements. Looking at Growth Ahead Excellent Biotechnologies has grown from a self-funded start-up in 2008 to an 1 Billion organisation with distributors in 48 countries. The journey is far from over as it continues to grow. The company is now in the process of expansion intending to double in size in two years. Maintaining the quality and standard of products up to customer satisfaction are more important. The company is looking at improvements in products with help of innovation and new technologies. “Achieving success is difficult. But, maintaining it with sincerity is more difficult. Our long-term goal in 10 years is to establish one of the India’s largest Biotech company servicing all aspects of the business world,” shares Mr Gulzar.
35| September 2020
Evolution of
BIOTECHNOLO throughout times
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Era of Biotechnology
OGY I
t has been more than 30 years since the biotech industry has made extraordinary advances in both therapeutics and business. These advancements include the development of 20 innovative technologies leading to new products, the pre-approval of more than 260 novel human therapeutics covering over 230 indications, the creation of more than 4,600 biotech companies world-wide and global sales of more than $175 billion in 2013. Various other biopharma companies have been following a
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37| September 2020
similar suit during the Covid-19 pandemic and using their own capabilities to lighten the burden of coronavirus on their patients. Eli Lilly has been one such company that has been seen offering great support to its diabetic population with full-page adverts in various American papers detailing how they can receive support in such a financially unstable time. The company also has entered the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator which has been headed by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to promote and fund the innovation of antiviral drugs. According to Global Data, they expect that both Bayer and Novartis would gain effective financial support from the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine worldwide. Biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies have been amongst the most sophisticated and elegant achievements of modern science. The massive complex structures of these drugs are not just extraordinary to look at but are also extraordinary in the 3-D modeling systems used to design them. They also provide high efficacy and efficiency by doing their jobs well. Also, there is so much more existing treatment archetypes that have been evolving and becoming more sophisticated all the time. And continuous research is yielding entirely new types of products. Hence, new concepts are making it to the market, such as the cell therapy Provenge, that has been used to treat cancer and somewhat further out, gene therapies that have been offering even more amazing promises of regenerative medicine or disease remission. To put it simply, there are numerous stages in the development of biotechnology to meet the various needs of humans. Its development itself was anatomically and basically built on observations, and applications of these observations to practical
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scenarios. Majority of the complexity of biotechnology has become augmented due to evolution of new technologies with time as these are based on the employment of improved technological advancements along with better understanding of various principles of life-science. The roots of majority of basic concepts had been elucidated, which has fast forwarded the path for important scientific discoveries. It was Dr. Hargobind Khorana who first synthesized the DNA in test tube, while Karl Mullis added value to Khorana's discovery by amplifying DNA in a test tube to a thousand times more than the original amount of DNA. Having used this sort of technological advancement, other scientists were able to insert a foreign DNA into another host and were even able to monitor the transfer of a foreign DNA into the next generation. Similar to the above mentioned inventions, the advent of HIV/AIDS as a deadly disease has helped tremendously to improve various tools employed by life-scientists for discoveries and applications in various aspects of day-to-day life. On the other hand, Ian Wilmut an Irish scientist was successful in cloning an adult animal, using sheep as model. He named the cloned sheep as ‘Dolly’. Another scientist, Craig Venter, was able to sequence the human genome in 2000; the first publicly available genome is from JD Watson and Craig Venter, himself. Again, in the year 2010, Craig Venter had been successful in demonstrating that a synthetic genome could replicate autonomously. All these deep-rooted discoveries have unlimited implications and applications.
-Vedika Mansukhe
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Sisco Research Laboratories Leading the Industry with Excellence
B
iotechnology industry has flourished over the years. India is one of the first countries to have a department dedicated to Biotechnology. It is among the top 12 destinations for biotechnology in the world, with approximately 3% share in the global Biotechnology industry. In fact, there are more than 2500+ biotech companies in India. Sisco Research Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. (SRL) is one of the oldest and most respected manufacturers of specialty fine chemicals, microbiological, nanotechnology and biotechnology reagents. It has certifications such as ISO 9001-2015, cGMP, FDA & CE. Today, the company employs about 300 personnel to manufacture and service the needs of scientists, researchers, quality control managers of industries, researchers of institutions and academic bodies. SRL is considered amongst the five best Reagents and Biochemical providing companies in India. It is patronized by almost all the National Laboratories, CSIR, ICMR, ICAR, DRDO, IITs, NITs, NISER institutes and National Universities leading to accreditation and acceptance by the multinationals and Indian manufacturers and even overseas buyers. It recently bagged the “Award for BEST SME 2020.” Here’s how the company has been growing over the years and has become a force to reckon with. Brief us about your company, its inception story and the vision behind. Our company began its journey way back in 1975. It was a time when India's premier Research institutes and academic bodies such as Universities and Colleges were relying wholly on imported reagents and chemicals. Our Chairman, Mr. S.K. Agarwal had a vision to contribute to this ever increasing ocean of scientific research and learning in the country. The challenges were of very high magnitude, such as technological challenges which involved designing, production and testing methodologies for developing laboratory reagents, raising of capital, operational
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challenges to setup manufacturing locations, train people and make them understand the importance of high quality testing and manufacturing standards and more importantly, the biggest challenge was to understand the perception and buying behaviour of Indian scientists, researchers and students who did not have the confidence on Indian made products and preferred to import chemicals from the leading companies in the world. Having closely observed these trends in the industry, he thought this was a greatopportunity in India that had an immense potential, and as the business acumen he had due to his skill sets, he decided to embark on the vision of manufacturing specialty chemicals and reagents in India which had the same quality standards or even better than the ones available from international brands, but emphasis was given to affordable pricing strategies, which could help various scientists get reagents and chemicals who had limited financial grants from the government of India. The vision was to contribute to the growth of scientific research in India. Kindly provide a brief overview of your products and services. We manufacture and supply more than 6000 products in about 15000 SKU’s. Our products are broadly categorized into Organic & Inorganic reagents, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology reagents, Nanotechnology products, Microbiology dehydrated culture media and PCR reagents. With regards to your organization’s profound industry experience, how do you think the chemical industry and market have evolved and what can be expected in the forthcoming years? The last 44 years have been a rollercoaster ride in the industry. The fine chemical industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 4 decades. In the financial year ending March 2018, the Indian chemical industry stood at USD 163 billion dollars and is currently growing at about 9%. It is estimated to reach USD 304 billion by 2025. The fine chemical manufacturing segment that we are a part of is also known as “Knowledge chemicals” industry that has a share of 5-7% in the total Indian chemicals industry. So markets have evolved and we are in a very important phase
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The Most Promising Biotech Companies in India
of growth which is being experienced in India. It is well documented that biotechnology is going to be the most dominant segment as product applications are being developed to either substitute or to provide improved manufacturing processes for each of the chemical segments viz. Basic, Specialty as well as knowledge more focused to protect the environment. We are therefore expecting growth rates in excess of 30%40% on year-to-year in the next 5 years as we are expanding the business of exports of these products in the Indian subcontinent, Far-east, Europe and US. What are the benefits gained by your clients/users from your products/solutions/services? Our products are touching many Industries (Pharma, FMCG, Cosmetics, etc). They had been initially procuring our products for their R&D / pilot scale production and have now frozen many of our products for their Bulk Production. Introduction of newer range of diagnostic reagents has created a shift in the buyers’ preference for SRL products and also gaining advantage of economical prices and promote availability. Considering the necessity of adapting to the volatile technological disruptions and/or development of cutting-edge solutions, how does your company sustain its competency in the Bio-Tech market? Biotech market, to our understanding, is divided in two segments, one, the Diagnostic Reagents which is a combination of traditional biochemistry and ever increasing applications based on instrumental analysis. The other segment is based on molecular biology, PCR techniques and latest biosimilar applications. Our company, with its reputation in quality and innovation since last 44 years is very well poised to meet the current challenges to adapt to new technologies and cutting edge solutions. Could you list out the most growth-deteriorating challenges for your organization till date? (Talent acquisition/infrastructure/or anything apart from the above question’s response) What does the future hold
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S.K. Agarwal Chairman for your organization in terms of internal as well as holistic development? Entry of the MNC laboratory chemical companies in the Indian Market, with their large volume of operations and infrastructure worldwide was a reckoning factor for Indian companies. However, we are equally marching ahead with larger visibility amongst biopharma and biotech companies and research institutions and universities with our strong image of quality, service and treating our business as a tool of serving the scientific community in India and abroad. Would you like to highlight any awards, accolades or testimonials your company has achieved throughout? • Mr. S.K. Agarwal was awarded with the Indian Achievers Award in 2014 for Industry Development in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development. • “SRL” is among the 20 top biotechnology companies as per the survey conducted by “Bio Spectrum” a reputed magazine representing biotech industry in India. It had published a profile of Mr. S.K. Agarwal, as a leader in the field of biotechnology related reagents in the country in the year 2013. • Mr. S.K. Agarwal was honoured the Appreciation ward in 2010 by ISGF & AISG, Belgium for his contribution in support of Scout and Guide Fellowship during the past 50 years in India. He has been a member of the ISGF World Committee from the year 1993 to 1999. • The company also makes its modest contributions towards CSR activities.
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People Who Make Things Possible: •
Late Dr. M. R. Raikar, a biochemist devoted to research and development, was the person who pioneered the development of many reagents under the leadership and guidance of Mr.S.K.Agarwal, Managing Director of the company. His knowledge and experience assisted the company in establishing its first manufacturing unit in Kashimira in Mumbai.
•
Late Dr. Pandit, a Reader in Mumbai University and a devoted student of Organic chemistry (solvents and reagents) assisted the company to establish the second manufacturing unit in MIDC, Turbhe, Navi Mumbai.
•
Dr. V. R. Ranade, an accomplished R&D scientist, with experience of working in UK and US and MNC pharma companies further led the team of chemists to synthesize highly purified reagents, phase transfer catalysts and specialized solvents adding to the growth of the company at Turbhe factory.
•
Mr. P.M.Phadke, then a young post graduate biochemist who joined SRL almost 40 years ago heads the quality control department at the MIDC,Taloja factory. He has accredited with development and modifications of analytical methods of hundreds of biochemicals, reagents and solvents.
•
Mrs.Poonam Das, a versatile manufacturing microbiologist is instrumental in developing a new production department of dehydrated culture media, an important arm of the biotech industry, catering to the health care, environmental and microbiological quality control.
•
Mr. Ramesh Agarwal, Director and son of Mr. S.K..Agarwal is associated with the company since last four decades and has been specially credited with procurement of raw materials for the company with his business acumen in bulk chemical industry.
•
Mr. Akash Agarwal and Mr. Vikas Agarwal, both the young Directors of the family owned company have introduced many verticles of management at the head office and marketing to create digitalisation / computerisation of operations at all levels for faster growth within India and overseas countries and driving the company to meet the challenges of MNC companies entering the Indian markets.
•
Mr. Rajendra Jain, Chief accountant of the company has been aptly instrumental in handling the financial and accounting management of the company since last 25 years.
•
Mrs.Nagveni Shrimankar, working for last two decades, has been instrumental in introducing several regulatory requirements like ISO,CE,GMP and VQs which are important to meet the mandatory requirements of the government and pharma and food regulatory markets.
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