Page 141 - CW E-Magazine (12-3-2024)

Pharmaceuticals

DRIVING INNOVATION
Pfizer, NIPER-Ahmedabad to support healthcare

startups

US pharma major, Pfizer, has product development, regulatory path- innovation in healthcare is not merely a
announced that it will partner with the way, pre-clinical testing, tech transfer priority, but a responsibility shared by all
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Edu- support through the NIPER ecosystem who are a part of this ecosystem. Our sup-
cation & Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, and real-world clinical fitment check. port to this collaboration between Pfizer
to incubate six healthcare startups with and NIPER-A highlights the potential
an investment of Rs. 25-lakhs each under Together, Pfizer, NIPER Ahmedabad of startups bringing innovations that can
Pfizer’s ‘INDovation’ programme. and Social Alpha will be looking for advance the delivery of healthcare in the
innovations at TRL levels 3 or higher in country.” Prof. Shailendra Saraf, Direc-
The initiative is being supported by the areas of deep tech and artificial intel- tor, NIPER – Ahmedabad, said, “We
the Department of Pharmaceuticals and ligence for predictive analysis, point-of- believe that innovation is vital to address
Niti Aayog and is being anchored by care testing, SaaS, informatics and weara- today’s healthcare challenges and this
Social Alpha. This partnership seeks to bles and track & trace solutions. collaboration can empower start-ups to
expand on the ‘INDovation’ initiative, drive transformative healthcare solutions.
through which 34 startups in India have Centre of Excellence in Medical Collaboration with a leading pharmaceu-
already been supported through fund- Device tical organisation like Pfizer will provide
ing and incubation to bring their break- NIPER-Ahmedabad is in the process a boost for these innovative start-ups and
throughs to market. The partnership of setting up a Centre of Excellence in their ideas.”
with NIPER-Ahmedabad will follow a Medical Device. This partnership will
cohort-based approach for selecting the further help startups in this domain take “Through the Pfizer INDovation plat-
six start-ups. These start-ups with a proof- advantage of the NIPER-Ahmedabad form, we are proud to have given wing
of-concept that matches the set mandate innovation ecosystem in medical devi- to startups that are addressing important
will be selected for a one-year accelerator ces to advance in their journey towards unmet needs in areas of oncology, digital
programme. Besides the investment of commercialisation. Dr. Arunish Chawla, health, devices and diagnostics,” said
Rs. 25-lakh, each of these startups will Secretary, Department of Pharmaceu- Ms. Meenakshi Nevatia, Managing
receive incubation support in areas of ticals said, “Encouraging indigenous Director, Pfizer.
Aurobindo’s Telangana injectable facility gets seven

US-FDA observations

Hyderabad-based Aurobindo Pharma of the observations of USFDA in their
said on February 29 that the US FDA recent inspection concluded on 2nd
has slapped the company’s injectable February 2024.
facility in Telangana state, with seven
observations. In an exchange filing, The company expects to start the
Aurobindo Pharma said the US FDA production in the aseptic lines of the
inspected the injectable facility of Eugia facility in March 2024. The USFDA
SEZ Pvt. Ltd. from February 19-29. had issued nine observations after
Eugia is a 100% step-down subsidiary inspecting the Eugia Unit-III plant
of Aurobindo Pharma. from January 22 to February 2. The key
The company also said that Eugia concerns raised included the lack of
The company said that these Pharma Specialities Ltd. has restarted procedures to prevent microbiological
observations are procedural in nature production in its terminally sterilised contamination of drugs, incomplete lab
and will be responded to within the product lines at its Unit-III, that was records, and inadequate validation of
stipulated time. temporarily stopped to address some aseptic processes.

Chemical Weekly March 12, 2024 141

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised