Biotechnology in India is one of the most rapidly growing knowledge-based sectors.

Biotechnology is considered to be a quickly emerging and far-reaching technology. It's a branch of science that plays a major role in the development and growth of India. Biotechnology refers to any technological application that uses biological systems and forms in a governable manner, to not only produce new and useful processes or products but also modify the existing ones. It benefits both mankind and other life forms, such as micro organisms. Besides, biotechnology helps maintain an optimum ecological balance by lowering the amount of hydrocarbons and controlling pollution.
Biotechnology in India is one of the most rapidly growing knowledge-based sectors. Today, it's being increasingly used to design and develop unique, improved varieties of pharmaceutical products, crops, fertilizers, processed foods, a plethora of chemicals, cosmetics, growth enhancers, health care aids, and environment-related substances. The biotech segment in India has been making fast strides on the world platform. India is currently producing and marketing many therapeutic biotech drugs and vaccines. From 2005–2006, the Indian biotech sector recorded an impressive revenue of approximately US$ 1.07 billion and registered a 36.55% growth.
India has diverse biological resources. Biotechnology offers opportunities to convert these resources into employment opportunities and economic wealth. Several factors create an impetus for India to produce excellent capabilities in the domain of biotechnology. These factors include a strong pool of scientists and engineers, a large reservoir of scientific human resources, affordable manufacturing capabilities, numerous medical colleges, educational and training institutes providing diplomas and degrees in biotechnology, a large number of national research laboratories engaging thousands of scientists, fast developing clinical capabilities, and a vibrant drugs and pharmaceutical industry.

Biotech drugs to replace chemical entities Lipitor & Plavix as market leaders

The global order of blockbusters may soon be heading for a major upheaval with Biotechnology drugs toppling the present market leaders, Pfizer’s Lipitor and Sanofi’s Plavix-—both chemical entities.

With the emerging trend of biotechnology drugs cornering the top slots as against chemical entities, domestic pharma companies are now trying to cash in on the $60-billion-plus opportunity. Biotech drugs, also called biologics , are manufactured using live organisms, as against conventional medicines which are based on chemical compositions.

While some companies such as Dr Reddy’s , Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Biocon have fast-tracked their research in biosimilars (off-patent biotech drugs), others like Cipla have tied up with Chinese companies to make a foray in the highly complex but fast-growing segment. Analysts say that by 2014, in the first-ever instance of a biologic drug topping the list, Roche’s Avastin, a monoclonal antibody for treatment of cancer with global sales of nearly $9 billion, will ease out Pfizer’s anti-cholesterol blockbuster Lipitor—the largest selling drug (chemical entity) which nets $12 billion annually at present.

In fact, by 2014 at least six of the 10 top-selling drugs sold globally are tipped to be injectable biotech drugs, mainly for treating cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, compared to five in 2008 and just one in 2000.

Other biologics include blood/plasma products, cultured cells and tissues, gene therapy products, all recombinant proteins, (monoclonal ) antibodies and vaccines.

Anti-cancer antibodies, in particular, look set to become the most valuable therapeutic class, justifying a large proportion of Roche’s move to acquire its US biotech affiliate Genentech. Over the last couple of years, there have been several deals by MNCs to acquire biotech assets to augment their biologics portfolio, like Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth , and the Merck-Schering Plough deal.

Experts say that the growing commercial dominance of biologics globally presents an opportunity for domestic companies. Says Sujay Shetty, India pharma leader, PwC: “Even though domestic companies cannot export to developed markets like the US and UK due to complex regulatory pathways , there is a big addressable opportunity of biotech products for the domestic market. The domestic (biotech ) market, including vaccines is not even a billion now, but is expected to grow to $5 billion by 2020”.

Dr Reddy’s already has three biosimilars in the domestic market, and one of its products, Reditux (biosimilar rituximab) used in the treatment of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, is among the top 10 brands for the company with annual revenues of over Rs 24 crore. The company is also working on four biosimilars , one of them being in latestage clinical trials.

Decoding of human AGE

Harvard university's Doctor Ronald DePinho has conducted a scientific study that has shown that aging can be reversed in mice. Will this Biotechnology result occur also in humans? And, if so, how will it change the process of aging? In addition to his work at Harvard University, DePinho is also a cancer geneticist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The mice involved in the study were given an enzyme called telomerase, 4-OHT, to reactivate the telomeres in the body. The telomeres are found on the ends of chromosomes and serve to protect the chromosome from damage. As aging occurs, the telomeres get smaller and eventually die off.

The mice that showed signs of reversed aging had larger brains after receiving the enzyme. It also reversed loss of fertility. DePinho noted "It gives us a sense that there's a point of return for age-associated disorders," notes Nature.

Will telomerase eventually be a drug known to people worldwide? Is this enzyme the magic cure for aging? DePinho was surprised that this enzyme so completely reversed the aging process, rather than just slowing it down, notes the Daily Mail.


He predicts of that eventually a pill containing telomerase will be available for humans. It will reverse the signs of aging that have occurred and bring back a youthful vitality and appearance. The drug could be taken during the 40s or 50s to help impede the onset of serious illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and other diseases that occur most commonly in the elderly.

However, there are risks to a pill of this type. Telomerase can accelerate tumor growth, so much more research on this enzyme will have to be done to ensure that it does not cause development of cancer. DePinho told Nature that "telomerase should prevent healthy cells from becoming cancerous in the first place by preventing DNA damage."
Would you like to take a pill to stay forever young, or do you want to age naturally? Science may make major changes in the way humans age and evolve. The implications of that are both exciting and alarming.
Aging is Complex
It will be fascinating the Biotechnology to see how further study either proves or disproves the findings of Dr. DePinho regarding the aging process. Many questions still need to be answered. Aging is a complex process with many factors. Many more studies are needed to give conclusive information about the effectiveness and safety of using telomerase to prevent aging.

Sliced Apple That Won't turn Brown

A B.C. biotechnology company is entering the final stages of an application to the United States to market genetically modified apples that do not turn brown when sliced.

The technology employed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits inhibits browning of apple flesh by turning off a gene that produces the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, according to company president Neal Carter, an orchardist in the Okanagan since 1995.

The company has developed non-browning Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples that are included in a petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The company brands the non-browning fruit with the label "Arctic."

Varieties of apple such as the Golden Delicious tend to brown quickly when sliced and exposed to the air and show scuff marks from picking and transport, cosmetic deterioration Okanagan Specialty says its products will resist. The company is owned by a consortium of fruit growers, packers and other fruit industry firms, mainly from British Columbia.

"People buy with their eyes, they always pick the fruit that looks the best," Carter said.

Critics of the technology worry that a gene-modified apple would invoke consumer mistrust of a food that is iconic of natural goodness.

"This is a technology that supports industrial farming, it is not a product that addresses any consumer need," said Lucy Sharratt, coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network.

"Parents may not want to feed their children brown sliced apples or see them thrown away at school, but I doubt they'd prefer a genetically modified apple," Sharratt said.

The food service industry uses acidic solutions of water and vitamin C or lemon juice to keep sliced fruit from turning brown.

Genes Tied to Puberty, Body Fat in Girls Spotted

Scientists have pinpointed 30 genes that control the timing of puberty in females. They also believe many of these genes also play a role in body weight regulation or fat metabolism.

The international team of researchers analyzed 32 genome-wide association studies that included more than 87,000 women from Australia, Europe and the United States. Thet then performed replication studies in another group of almost 15,000 women.

In addition to the two genes already known to play a role in the timing of puberty, the team identified 30 new genes and suggestive evidence for another 10 genes.

The newly identified genes include four that have previously been associated with body mass index (a clinical measure of ewight), three that play a role in metabolism, and three that play a role in hormone regulation, according to the report, which is scheduled to be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

Bacteria Trained To Convert Bio - Wastes Into Plastic

A scientist has 'trained' bacteria to convert all the main sugars in vegetable, fruit and garden waste efficiently into high-quality green bioplastics.

By adapting the eating pattern of bacteria and subsequently training them, Jean-Paul Meijnen, a microbiologist at the TU Delft in The Netherlands, has succeeded in converting sugars in processable materials, so that no bio-waste is wasted.

The technical problems associated with turning potato peel into sunglasses, or cane sugar into car bumpers, have already been solved. But the current methods are not very efficient: only a small percentage of the sugars can be converted into valuable products, according to a TU Delft statement.

In the new experiment, the favoured raw materials for such processes are biological wastes left over from food production. Lignocellulose, the complex combination of lignin and cellulose present in the stalks and leaves of plants that gives them their rigidity, is such a material.

The Rs 1,550 cr Biocon -Pfizer Deal...

Bangalore-headquartered biotech firm Biocon has entered into a $350-million (Rs 1,550 crore) strategic alliance with drug-major Pfizer on Monday for marketing Biocon’s insulin products. The agreement includes the commercialisation of Biocon’s biosimilar versions of insulin and insulin analog products: recombinant human insulin, glargine, aspart and lispro, Biocon said.

The potential market for these four products, according to Kiran Mazumdar Shaw , chairman and MD of Biocon, would roughly be around $20 billion by 2015. Biocon hopes to combine the synergies of Pfizer’s marketing and distribution networks and its own cost-effective developing and manufacturing capabilities to grab a piece of the $14-billion biosimilar market.

Their main competitors would be Novo Nordisk, Sanofi Aventis and Eli Lilly. The rival companies are betting on the fact that by 2015, a number of insulin analogs are expected to lose patents. This would create large opportunities in the biosimilar market which would, in turn, give them a first-mover advantage.

In addition to the $350 million, the company will also receive additional payments linked to Pfizer’s sales of its four insulin biosimilar products across global markets, the company added. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will make upfront payments of $200 million. Biocon is also eligible to receive an additional development and regulatory milestone payment of up to $150 million.

Rakesh Bamzai, marketing head, Biocon, said the firm would be investing around $300 million in the next three years to ramp up its biosimilar capacity in India and also look at manufacturing facilities in Malaysia. Ms Shaw added that currently there is enough capacity to meet the needs of Pfizer for the next five years. Pfizer will have exclusive rights to commercialise these products globally, with certain exceptions, including co-exclusive rights for all of the products with Biocon in Germany, India and Malaysia, it said. The market for diabetes drugs and devices in 2010 is estimated at $40 billion with insulins accounting for $14 billion or 35% of the diabetes segment.