ClinTec presents strategy for Indian pharma companies to achieve competitive edge

ClinTec International Ltd presents at Global Healthcare Conference Promoting Partnerships, New Delhi, India.

The presentation detailed a strategy for Indian drug development companies to achieve competitive advantage through Partnership with UK service providers to the Pharma industry. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Rabinder Buttar, President and Founder of ClinTec International.

The Pharmaceutical sector is experiencing challenges globally along the key dimensions of Cost, Time and Resource. The spiraling cost of global drug development and associated financial exposure, have led Pharma companies to seek innovative ways of lowering their risk profile.

Reducing the cost of drug development has led service providers to the Pharma industry and Contract Research Organizations in particular, to seek emerging markets where the cost of labor is a fraction of the cost of that in the Western world.

Global pharmaceutical companies can combat these key challenges of drug development through partnering with international CROs who have not only a presence in Europe and the US close to the Client Headquarters, but also a well established and credible presence in India where there are viable solutions to these challenges.

India is gaining acceptance as recognized destination for international clinical research and drug development programs. The cost of labor is significantly lower than traditional US and European markets for clinical research. Time-to-market is reduced through rapid patient recruitment, driven by a representation of patients from a wide range of therapeutic conditions.

Challenges remain in the wide availability of qualified clinical research resource in India, where demand significantly outstrips supply. This is actively being addressed by Indian Pharma companies and CRO's through ensuring that their employees are trained to international clinical research standards. Ensuring that Indian staff performs key roles in International teams further addresses the skills gap and breaks down any myths of India only being a destination for the back-office.

A strategy for Indian drug development is proposed which combines the best expertise available, regardless of geographical location. Indian Pharma companies as they race for bringing New Chemical Entities to the global marketplace can increase their chances of success by fully integrating the best expertise in the western world into their own armory.

Indian Pharma companies can form partnerships with agile international CROs in order to get access to global sales channels, regulatory expertise and international clinical research capabilities. Through partnership, the risk and reward is shared with the goal of bringing new drugs to market as efficiently as possible for mutual benefit.

ClinTec International is a success story of forming winning combinations between UK and Indian companies. In September 2006, ClinTec International and Dr Reddy?s Laboratories signed a collaboration agreement to co-develop an anti-cancer compound DRF 1042. This agreement signaled the move from a straight service provider relationship to a partnership model between ClinTec International and Dr Reddy's.

Director of Corporate Development at ClinTec International, Mr. Bobby Bal, said, "The world is becoming a very small place. Companies which will move ahead are those that break geographical and cultural barriers, with the objective of sourcing the best functional expertise regardless of location, and combining them into winning global teams."

Forming high-performing international teams is our core business, and India as an emerging powerhouse in international business coupled with the numerous benefits to clinical research, becomes a core country in our global strategy.

Dr Rabinder Buttar, President & CEO of ClinTec International, said, "ClinTec International in it's pioneering spirit took a lead role in establishing a footprint in India before most other international CROs. We are now seeing the fruits of this foresight come through, as Indian clinical research professionals lead the development of strategically important drugs for western pharmaceutical companies."

"We believe that Indian Pharma companies will increasingly look to execute their clinical development programs in Europe and the US as they realize their long-term vision of being innovative global players with new drugs to offer, to combine with their traditional Generic Drug capabilities. The two-way communication and partnership commitment between UK and Indian MNCs in the Pharma sector will have lucrative mutual rewards."

CIOL Bureau