The Hindu Business Line : TCS to offer drug discovery solutions — Signs pact with Italian biotech start-up

Dr M. Vidyasagar, Executive Vice-President and head of TCS Advanced Technology Centre, at a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday. — P.V. Sivakumar

Hyderabad , Aug 4

TATA Consultancy Services Ltd, which has struck a one-million-euro partnership with an Italian firm, has announced it would become the first IT services company to work on molecules and not just software code.

The agreement with Congenia, a biotechnology start-up promoted by Italy's Genextra SpA group, would provide advanced fragment-based solution for drug discovery. The Advanced Technology Centre of TCS based in Hyderabad would be involved.

The Executive Vice-president and Head of TCS's Advanced Technology Centre, Dr M. Vidyasagar, said this is the first such agreement where the Life Sciences R&D Division of TCS will work on P66, a target protein identified by Congenia as a key protein involved in several age-related diseases. These molecules would help address many issues on ageing and related diseases.

Dr Vidyasagar said Genextra is a pioneer in Italy and the agreement has the potential to be ramped up as "we go along its path". TCS would put in place a complete suite of offerings in the life sciences segment, including genomics and proteomics, database integration, drug discovery and preventive healthcare.

Genextra holds the patent for research and commercial utilisation of the gene P66.

Unlike the traditional pattern of identifying molecules, it would be possible to generate computer simulation tests on the company's Bio-suite, thereby cutting short on overall time to market. The addressable market for drug discovery is estimated at about $6-7 billion out of $40 billion invested in pharma R&D.

A part of the wet chemistry and related work will be carried out by TCS's sub-contractor, Altiora Ventures, based in Israel. The contract duration of 18 months incorporates payments based on the number of optimised lead molecules delivered. The biological assays would be carried on by Congenia in Milan.

TCS has identified life sciences as one of the growth engines for the company and has invested in developing competencies and research collaborations over the past few years. It is good to see these TCS investments are yielding good results, according to Mr S. Ramadorai, Chief Executive Officer of TCS.

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