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P.T. Jyothi Datta

Mumbai , April 13

THE prospective cancer drug being developed by Nicholas Piramal India Ltd (NPIL) is also being researched for an alternate indication in the anti-AIDS segment.

The molecule is found to be effective in stopping the multiplication of errant cells and the principle works for cancer and AIDS, said Dr Swati Piramal, Director (Strategic Alliances), explaining the basis on which the alternate indication is being researched.

The company has filed for global and Indian patents on both indications, she told Business Line. Research on the cancer indication is ahead of the AIDS application.

NPIL has applied for regulatory approvals to conduct phase I clinical trials on the cancer indication in India and Canada.

The prospective cancer drug is being developed for non-small lung cancer and colon cancer, she said.

"The AIDS application is still at a pre-clinical stage and research on this indication will take more time."

If all goes well, the company expects the cancer drug to hit the market by 2008.

In cancer, Phase I and II trials are done together and Phase III takes a shorter time, she said.

Phase I clinical trials involve tests on around 50-100 healthy human volunteers to evaluate the safety profile and the safe dosage range of the drug.

In Phase II trials the sample size gets bigger, ranging between 100 and 500 human subjects (people carrying the disease for which the molecule is targeted).

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