Data integrity critical for growth of pharma and bio-tech sectors

 Jayarama Emani | The Dollar Business Two days after the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi launched India’s first indigenously developed and manufactured Rotavirus vaccine-‘Rotavac’ in which, Bharat Biotech played a crucial role in developing and testing the vaccine along with the Gates Foundation, its co-founder, Dr Krishna Ella, says that data integrity and trust are two key areas that will be affecting India’s progress in the pharmaceutical and bio-technology sectors. Speaking exclusively to The Dollar Business on the side-lines of the first Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) meeting and public session on “Mapping Industrial Growth By Tapping Sectors of Advantage in Telangana,” Dr Ella says that loss of credibility not only affects the company, but the nation as a whole and it is up to our scientists to follow ethics that match up to their skills. Stating that outsourcing can be a viable option in addition to foreign investments in Indian companies, Dr Ella says, “the Rotavac Vaccine is the perfect example of India’s capabilities in high-end Research & Development (R&D), manufacturing of highly sophisticated pharma products and effective finding of affordable solutions to societal problems under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.” Dr Ella says, “Hyderabad might be an IT (information technology) hub today, but was once ranked as in the first place for IT (innovative technologies) in pharmaceuticals,” and adds, “even today 70% of vaccine requirements for India are produced in Hyderabad.” He asked the government to take steps to promote the industry by providing for common effluent plants and other facilities instead of providing subsidies. Given the right impetus, the pharma and the bio-tech sectors can put Hyderabad back on the top slot, Dr Ella says. The indigenously developed ‘Rotovac Vaccine’ that is expected to boost efforts to combat infant mortality due to diarrhoea, has undergone 25-year-long efforts and is the third such vaccine against Rotavirus available globally and at the current prices, is the cheapest. Every year due to diarrhoea caused by Rotavirus, India has been witnessing up to 10 lakh hospitalizations and nearly 80,000 children under the age of 5 years, on death beds. Besides the emotional stress, the virus has also been pushing many Indian families below the poverty line, imposing a significant economic burden on the country.   

This article was published on March 11, 2015.