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DBT Invites Proposal To Develop Affordable
Healthcare Technologies From R&D Cos
The DBT has invited proposals from R&D companies in the
country to develop affordable healthcare technologies and products having
translational attributes and cornmercialization capability, especially in the
thematic areas of diagnostics for infectious disease and allergy, biomedical
devices, vaccines, etc.
The DBT is conducting this programme under its Biotechnology
Industry Partnership Programme (BlPP) which is a government partnership
programme with industry for support on a cost sharing basis for development of
novel and high risk futuristic technologies mainly for viability gap funding and
enhancing existing R&D capacities of start-ups and SMEs in key areas of
national importance and public good.
DBT is operating this scheme through Biotechnology Industry
Research Assistance Council (B1RAC), a not-for-profit company set up by the DBT
to promote and nurture innovation research in biotech enterprises specially
startups and SMEs. BlPP has so far executed more than 75 industry partnership
agreements for projects focusing on affordable healthcare technologies; food
security, energy related needs of the country and also in the area of scale up,
biosimilars, vaccines, therapeutics etc.
The DBT's attempt in this direction comes in the wake of it
recognizing the importance of supporting development of technologies and
products for health care with a view to reduce cost, increase their
availability, accessibility and affordability for the society at large.
The attempt to develop affordable health care technologies
and products is being announced to accentuate the need of such technologies and
make an effort to con-tribute towards fostering the development of affordable
healthcare technologies and products having translational attributes and
commercialization capability. The proposal may be submitted for any stage of
research and development, from pre-proof-of-concept to validation of established
technologies.
Thematic areas of the present programme include diagnostics
for infectious disease and allergy which is aimed at development of point of
care and public health or environment related invitro diagnostics.
Another thematic area is biomedical devices for novel and
innovative technologies addressing health problems and aiming at improving
quality of life. Technologies may include, but are not limited to, ventilators,
haemostatic and lifesaving devices, pediatric devices, imaging and monitoring
devices or guided interventions, prosthesis, catheter, stents, Infant warmer,
drug delivery devices radiological devices/ product, implants, (advanced
biomaterials, wound therapies, and devices used for infection control,
telehealth technologies, etc.
The other thematic area is vaccines. Novel, improved and
affordable vaccines for HIV, TB, malaria, dengue, multivalent in fluenza,
helicobacter pylori, cancer, hepatitis viruses, typhoid, cholera, Japanese
encephalitis, intramuscular polio. Single dose vaccines with long lasting
protection, Novel Adjuvants, Immunomodulators, Room temperature tolerant,
Improved vaccine delivery mechanisms.
( Ref : June 14,
2012, The Chronical Pharmabiz )
Report Surveys India’s Shifting Medtech
Market Dynamics
A new report on India’s medtech market from PwC offers some
interesting perspectives on growth opportunities and marketplace dynamics. The
consultancy surveyed executives from medtech companies with operations in India
representing US$1.3 billion in revenue (roughly 40% of the Indian market).
Although the focus of the report is on how multinationals can remain competitive
in this burgeoning sector, it also offers some observations of value to the
domestic manufacturing base.
India ranks among the top three emerging nations for direct
investment by large multinational companies, but “domestic competition is
intensifying, as Indian companies improve the quality and capabilities of their
products and services,” note the authors of the report. Healthcare
infrastructure improvements, regulatory reform and increased awareness and
access across a broader set of customers are contributing to changing the market
dynamics within this industry, which is growing at 15% per annum and generating
annual revenue of approximately US$3 billion. Three trends, in particular, are
singled out as revenue drivers in the years ahead:
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a rapidly growing
middle class that will number roughly 580 million people by 2025, up from 50
million in 2007;
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expanded insurance
coverage that is projected to grow at a 30% compound annual growth rate through
2015;
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improvements in
healthcare infrastructures, with explosive growth forecast in the private
sector.
In terms of risk, survey respondents pointed to competition
from low-priced local products as their foremost concern. This illustrates “how
far local and regional players have come in developing capabilities to produce
viable low-cost alternatives that address the price sensitivity of certain
market segments,” notes the report.
A market that has been driven largely by imports will
increasingly be characterised by domestic production. Almost 75% of medical
devices currently used in India are imported. “As companies focus more on
innovating specifically for the market, they will increasingly use India as a
manufacturing and R&D base as well as a source for materials,” according to the
report.
( Ref :
http://india.medtechinsider.com/archives/1087 )
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