NEW LABORATORY ANIMAL FACILITY IN INDIA

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Kinder, gentler animal testing lab soon for pharma & biotech

Toufiq Rashid Posted online: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 0000 hrs Print

<http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/4070.html>

Email<http://www.indianexpress.com/story/4070.html#> Animal

activists can relax, this 100-acre facility in Hyderabad will ensure

standardisation in testing and rehab for animals

<http://www.indianexpress.com/story/4070.html#>

 

*HYDERABAD, MAY 8:* As India makes strides in the pharmaceutical industry,

the Government has taken a step of its own to counter animal activists'

campaigns. By next year it plans to set up a Rs 200-crore National Animal

Resource Facility, spread over 100 acres, where animals will be bred for

drug research as per international protocol, and rehabilitated once the

trials are over.

 

The facility is coming up about 25 km from Hyderabad in Genome Valley,

Andhra Pradesh's biotech hub.

 

The main aim, according to officials, is standardisation of animal trials

and research in government sector as well as ensuring qualitative, low-cost

animal experiments for vaccine and drug development to Indian pharmaceutical

and biotech companies.

 

The project is a joint venture between the state government and the Indian

Council for Medical Research

<http://www.indianexpress.com/story/4070.html#>(ICMR), with the

National Institute of

Nutrition <http://www.indianexpress.com/story/4070.html#>, Hyderabad, as the

nodal agency. The Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of

Science<http://www.indianexpress.com/story/4070.html#>and Technology

is also part of the

project.The government is likely to approach industry and nationalised banks

for funds.

 

''India is fast emerging as a leader in pharmaceutical industry and the

facility is important so that no questions are raised about the animal

trials. The industry which was forced to go out for testing can do it here

now,'' said N K Ganguly, Director General, ICMR. ''Right now most animals

are caught from the wild for testing, and they harbour diseases. Now their

health conditions won't affect the outcome of the research,'' said Dr Suresh

Pottani, Project Coordinator, working with the National Institute of

Nutrition.

 

With animals bred in-house, their known genealogy and parentage would also

help understand the results better.

 

*toufiq.rashid*