(Image source from: India into select club of countries for Nano medicine breakthrough})

Tiny nanometre-sized particles of the drug, Nano-crystals can act swift and efficient when compared to the conventional ones. This technology was available only in the US and Ireland. But now, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali has facilitated India to enter club of countries that manufacture raw materials for the production of medicines based on nano-crystal.

NIPER that has already gained an Indian patent for the technology has now applied for the European and the US patents. NIPER experts claim that the technology will cut the drug cost to nearly half of its original ones.

Estimated market of the nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery is $136 billion, while nanocrystals are expected to occupy 60% shares.

NIPER acting director Dr K K Bhutani said, "NIPER has developed a technology for generation of nano crystalline solid dispersions called NanoCrySP. More than 60% of the drugs are not easily soluble in water. This prevents their absorption in the blood and tissues and most of the drug is excreted without absorption. Consequently, oral drugs lose their efficiency. Using nano-crystals for medicines this problem of insolubility has been resolved, as the technology to prepare raw material for the production of these crystals has been developed,"

NIPER collaborates with Windlas Biotech

Retaining the patent rights, NIPER has entered into licensing agreement with an Indian pharmaceutical company, Windlas Biotech limited, for the development and commercialization of the technology. At present, the technology is in nascent stage of laboratory scale trial and would be scaled by the commercial partner to enter further trials.

Windlas will make the sales linked royalty payment to NIPER after the commercialization of products based on NanoCrySP, The new technology would facilitate discovery of novel treatments for existing molecules, if successful.

 

-Sumana