‘Biosimilars to spur pharma sector growth'

Nobel Laureate Prof Kurt Wuthrich has said that India needs sound patent protection to make it attractive for the West to invest here.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of Biocon Research Centre here, he said biotech is the future for top quality drug development. “This is where innovative medicines will play a pivotal role. Development of biosimilars is being viewed as future growth path for pharma and biotech companies globally,” he said.

Prof Wuthrich, who has research interests in molecular structural biology and in structural genomics, is currently the Cecil H and Ida Green professor of structural biology at Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla California.

“The scene for development of biosimilars is not easy like the small molecule, but there is considerable science and technology which gives advantage for the development of biosimilars,” he added.

The recent US guidelines for biosimilars which is pending clearance will be a landmark regulation when cleared for the biotech industries.

Prof Wuthrich said “Development of biosimilars is very expensive business and characterising it as part of the original molecule is not an easy task. The issue is not resolved yet.”

Advantage India

India's biopharma growth is impressive but the country needs to ensure that it does not lose out to China, which is far stronger in patents and intellectual property, he said. “India needs to be very careful not to lose out to countries like Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia, who are fast emerging as low cost destinations,” he added.

> anil.u@thehindu.co.in

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