Context

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic turmoil from 2019 to 2021, the biopharmaceutical industry became a global focal point.

Biopharmaceuticals and Status Indian Biopharma Industry

• About: Biopharmaceuticals are drugs and therapies synthesized from living organisms, which includes vaccines, biologics, biosimilars and evolving therapies like cell and gene therapies.
• Growth of Global Biopharmaceutical Industry: The global biopharmaceutical industry has grown significantly since 1982. Estimated at $528 billion, it is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate in double-digits for years. 
• India’s Biotechnology Growth: India has replicated this growth, ranking among the top 12 biotechnology destinations globally. 
  • In 2023, the Indian biopharma industry surpassed $92 billion, reflecting 15% growth from the previous year. 
• Drivers of Biopharma Industry Growth: This growth is driven by a rise in chronic diseases, higher income levels, demand for better treatments and the advantages of biopharma over traditional medicine (such as fewer side effects and greater effectiveness in treating chronic illnesses).

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Need for Collaborative Efforts between the Industry and Academia

• Extensive Research: The development and commercialization of bio-therapeutic products not only require extensive research, but also clinical and non-clinical trials that adhere to regulatory norms, necessitating academia and industry collaboration.
• Roles of Academia and Industry in Biopharma: While academia possesses skills in the research domain, industry must play its expected role in the commercialization of research: i.e., manufacturing, testing, approval and marketing.
• Academia’s Drug Discoveries: Academia has also made significant contributions, laying foundations for the development of several drugs.
  • Drugs such as Paclitaxel, Vorinostat, Prezista, Viread and Dexrazoxane have their discovery origins in academia. 

Benefits of Collaborations between Industry and Academia

• Collaborative Responses: The covid pandemic demonstrated the success of such collaborations in swiftly developing life-saving vaccines and therapies.
  • India’s first home-grown gene therapy for cancer, developed by IIT Bombay, Tata Memorial Centre, and ImmunoACT, is another example. 
  • Programmes like the Pfizer-IIT Delhi Innovation and IP Programme and INDovation are good examples of the larger pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to boost the domestic innovation ecosystem.
• Fostering Innovation through Collaborations: These collaborations foster innovation, as shown by the incubation of 34 healthcare innovators and 19 intellectual property filings in diagnostics, drug delivery, medical devices, and healthcare training.
• Building Talent for the Biopharma Sector: Additionally, industry-academia linkages also enable setting up a framework for nurturing talent with the skill-sets needed to meet the current demands of industry and prepare them for the biopharma sector’s innovation-driven future. 
• Establishing Global Pharma Centers: Several pharma and biopharma companies have established global capability centers in India, employing around half a million professionals.
  • These centers engage talent across various functions including research and development (R&D), drug commercialization, manufacturing, supply chain management, physician and patient engagement, business strategy, and digital operations.

Way Forward

• Strengthening Industry-Academia Partnerships: Recognizing the advantages of robust collaborations between industry and academia, it’s crucial to emphasize the establishment of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the National Biopharma Mission (NBM).
  • These initiatives bolster India’s biopharmaceutical capabilities, striving for global competitiveness and elevated healthcare standards through innovative product development.
• Promoting Continued Research: As we acknowledge our nation’s strides in biotechnology, such as the inception of a biotechnology department in 1986 and emerging as the third-largest biotech hub in the Asia Pacific
  • It’s imperative to promote continued research, innovation, and accelerated drug development in the biopharma domain.
• Enhancing Academic Technology Transfer: Empowering academic institutions, especially through technology transfer offices (TTOs), can boost their technology transfer capabilities, facilitating the translation of research into practical solutions and speeding up the transformation of scientific discoveries into societal benefits.
• Boosting Innovation Funding in India: Funding for schemes like India’s Ucchatar Avishkar Yojana should be increased to foster innovation among students and faculty in premier technological institutes.
• Recruitment Program for Overseas Indian Talent: To address the shortage of qualified faculty and researchers, a programme similar to China’s Thousand Talent Programme could be used to recruit overseas Indians from top global institutes with attractive incentives.
• Specialized Training in Biotech Regulations: Additionally, universities should implement specialized training on legal and regulatory frameworks for new biotech interventions. 
• Curriculum Integration: Integrating these into the curriculum will better prepare students for the complexities of the biotech landscape and help nurture a skilled workforce to drive innovation and research. 

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Conclusion

Furthermore, increasing innovation funding, recruiting overseas Indian talent, and providing specialized training in biotech regulations are essential steps to address challenges and nurture a skilled workforce.