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Bangalore March 19th, 2007
An AstraZeneca Foundation, founded 20 years ago, to foster biomedical research in India has met its initial goals and has restructured it’s funds for the long term, to build upon its pioneering sponsorship work in the future.
For the past two decades the independent, not-for-profit society, supported by the AstraZeneca Research Foundation India (AZREFI), has fostered biomedical research in India for the discovery of therapeutics, prophylactics and diagnostics for diseases afflicting large populations. Nominees, both of the Indian Government and the parent company, AstraZeneca, have jointly administered AZREFI.
In recent years the Society has seen many of its initial goals fulfilled, with the growing investment of AstraZeneca research in India, initially demonstrated with the opening of the AZ Research Facility in 2003 and further consolidated by the recent expansion of the facility to include a $15 million centre for process chemistry.
The Indian environment for applied biomedical research has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Following a year-long discussion between the Board of AZREFI, the Indian Government and AstraZeneca, the Society at its AGM decided that the time has come also for AZREFI to change, and focus on sustained support for a smaller number of projects. Therefore, the Society has decided to dissolve the formal constitution and invest in more long-term projects to ensure that sponsorship of Indian science started by AZREFI will continue into the future and build upon the pioneering work of this organisation.
Professor Jan Lundberg Executive Vice President of Discovery Research at AstraZeneca said, “We are very proud of the achievements of the AstraZeneca Research Foundation India over the years and would like to express our thanks to all the members of the Society and Indian Government representatives who have worked hard to achieve these goals, in particular Dr Anand Kumar, Director, AZREFI.
The long-term investments that have now been made are in critical areas of enabling science for India, to become a global force in drug discovery and medical research. AstraZeneca has recognised the strengths of Indian science for many years, as demonstrated by our growing and sustained commitment, and we believe that India has an important role to play globally in the future.”
The following institutions have received chairs, endowments or grants:
- St. Johns National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore - a Chair in Infectious Diseases and an Endowment in support of Clinical Infectious Diseases Research (70 million rupees)
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras , Chennai - an endowment to support a Teaching/Research Programme in Medicinal Chemistry (20 million rupees)
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Chandigarh - an endowment in support of Drug Discovery Research and Training (6 million rupees)
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore – a Chair in Chemoinformatics (4.5 million rupees)
- Centre for Human Genetics, Bangalore - a Chair in Genetics of population susceptibility for infections (4.5 million rupees)
These new investments add to chairs previously established at:
- Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore - a Chair in the Division of Biological Sciences, which is named Astra Professorship (2.5 million rupees)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore – a Chair in Biological Sciences with a focus on the biology of infectious organisms. (5.0 million rupees)
Background
The AstraZeneca Research Foundation India was founded by a group of distinguished Swedish scientists including a Nobel Laureate (Professor Sune Bergström) and a group of distinguished of Indian scientists, which included three Fellows of UK’s Royal Society.
The past achievements of the AZREFI are diverse and substantial and include:
- Early on ARCI (former incarnation of AZREFI) enjoyed substantial success in assisting new companies providing scientific tools and services, enabling the wider scientific community in India to access global technology e.g. Bangalore Genei, (now a major supplier of molecular biology tools) and Syngene (the first Contract Research Company in India to produce tools for the expression of proteins and peptides, now a global enterprise).
- ARCI developed a variety of novel diagnostic procedures. The technology supporting a diagnostic tool for Neurocysticercosis was licensed to XCyton Diagnostics and the kit is marketed today in India .
- AZREFI has conducted several International Symposia, including Infectious Diseases, Drug Discovery Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry, Bioinformatics, Pharmacokinetic & Pharmacodynamic analysis and Computer Aided Molecular design.
- AZREFI started series of named lectures and honoured distinguished scientists who have made significant contributions to biomedical research. Prof. Sune Bergstrom Public Lecture and Prof. S. Ramaseshan Lecture have received international recognition. This tradition will be continued within AstraZeneca India Pvt. Ltd.
- AZREFI,has sponsored several novel research projects in research centres in India , amongst which, the following require special mention.
- A research project at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur which developed a C.elegans model for determining induction of P450 genes by xenobiotics,
- A research project given to Prof. Junjappa of BioOrganics and to Prof. H.Ila (Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur) to develop the Junjappa-Ila annulation, for the production of Heterocyclic compound libraries.
- A computer aided drug discovery tool has been developed by Strand Genomics, a spin-off company from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore , for predicting a pharmacophore.
- AZREFI,has supported the biotechnology department of a local undergraduate college to develop a research programme to inspire and encourage students to consider scientific research as a career.
- AZREFI donated desk-top computers to a school for children of day labourers. This has encouraged the school to obtain funding from other sources to build an IT department not just for the school but also help train local teachers.
-Ends-
About AstraZeneca
In India, AstraZeneca’s presence includes: AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited (AZPIL), the Marketing Company, with products in six major therapeutic areas - Cardiovascular, Oncology, Maternal Healthcare, Infection, Respiratory, Neuroscience & Gastrointestinal and a world-class manufacturing unit conforming to WHO current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
AstraZeneca India Pvt. Ltd. (AZIPL), the centre of excellence established in 1996, and an integrated part of the AstraZeneca R&D network, is the only MNC in India focused on discovering novel drugs or therapies for tuberculosis. A new, state-of-the-art Process R&D facility, employing over 50 scientists, will be operational by March2007.
Media Enquiries:
Anjali Chandavarkar
AstraZeneca India
Email: anjali.chandavarkar@astrazeneca.com
Vivek Rao/Nidhi Krishnan
R&PM:Edelman
Mobile: 9880665023/9886440241
Email:vivek.rao@edelman.com; nidhi.krishnan@edelman.com
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