Nicholas Piramal in research collaboration with National Institute of Immunology

Mumbai: Nicholas Piramal India Limited (NPIL) has entered into a research collaboration with the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, a premier research institutions supported by the department of biotechnology, government of India. The collaboration will be an integral part of NPIL's broader R&D programme to discover and develop new chemical entities (NCE's) in the field of inflammation.

Dr Ram A. Vishwakarma, a renowned scientist from NII, will spearhead this collaborative effort. Dr Vishwakarma is a senior scientist who has completed his post-doctoral research at Cambridge University and has eight granted patents and more than 30 publications to his credit.

Dr Somesh Sharma, chief scientific officer, NPIL said, "NPIL is proud to be in the forefront of establishing research collaborations with talented Indian scientists in leading academic institutions." The company firmly believes in the high quality of Indian science and is strongly committed to discover and develop drugs originating from India for the global market.

Nicholas Piramal India Limited is one of India's leading pharmaceutical companies with a diverse portfolio of branded formulations, vitamins, APIs and diagnostics. Nicholas Piramal had FY 2004 net sales of Rs12.7 billion. And is ranked fourth in domestic formulations sales and second in total domestic pharmaceuticals sales.

NPIL is focusing its R&D efforts on development of NCE's and New Drug Delivery Systems (NDDS) in select therapeutic areas including cancer, diabetes and metabolic disorders, inflammation, and anti-infectives. The company's lead molecule in oncology, P-276-00, is undergoing advanced toxicology tests and is on track to enter human clinical trials by the end of this year.