Hyderabad: A kilo lab, the first of its kind established in a public institution which helps to complete most of the drug manufacturing process at one-go in one particular lab, was inaugurated in CSIR-IICT Hyderbad on Friday.
Scientists stated that it was basically a scale up of production with high purity and almost reaching the end stage of the manufacturing process.
Speaking on the occasion, director general CSIR and secretary DSIR Dr Shekhar C. Mande, said, “If a product is manufactured in a Kilo lab, it almost reaches the clinical trials stage.
Earlier, the manufacturing process of drugs used to take a lot of time. For instance, if there are 19 steps in a manufacturing process of a drug, one particular manufacturing unit can complete only eight-nine steps and later the process will be continued in other units.
This used to take a lot of time and there used to be a high chance of impurities. So, after the process, at the last stage it is again put to another process to get rid of the impurities. The whole process can be eliminated and drugs manufactured in high quantities at one go in this kilo lab.”
More than 60 per cent of the drugs sold throughout the world are made in India. This would not be possible if IICT’s Kilo lab was not there, said Mr Mande and added that the Kilo lab was available for startup and MSME if they wanted to avail the facilities.
Director CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad Dr S. Chandrasekhar, said, “Our aim is to file as many applications of Investigational New Drugs as possible and discover new drugs. As a part of it, we are pooling all projects that were abruptly stopped and put them together to rediscover. The Kilo lab facility will be useful in achieving our goal.”
He added from now onwards the Kilo lab would go hand in hand with the National Mol Bank, which is automated compound storage and retrieval system.
Talking about how CSIR tackled Fani situation. Mr Mande said, “Cyclone Fani was very devastating. Thanks to the Indian Meteorology Department for its prediction. But what do we do when cyclone hits us? How can we move the population to safe location? What about water and food facility for people to survive? CSIR came to rescue and answered all such question posed after cyclone. We see every natural disaster as a war and at forefront CISR scientists comes to rescue the people”.
Structural Engineering Research Centre designed special shelters. Across 200 shelter were installed with each accommodating 2,000-4,000 people. All these shelters were designed and tested in CISR-SERC.
CISR- Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) in Bhavnagar came to rescue. It designed a water purification bus which helps in purifying water including salt water to quench people’s thirst. The bus purified 4,000 litres of water per hour.
