“Chembiotek is an established global leader in providing high end chemistry and allied discovery research solutions to its customers. The addition of this cGMP compliant kilo lab will allow us to offer developmental chemistry services which would enable us to speedily and seamlessly transfer technology from our current chemistry labs to the kilo lab for scale-up, process development and optimization. This kilo lab will also serve as a robust platform for technology transfer to pilot plant scale. Consistent with our fundamental value proposition, the kilo lab operations will inculcate state-of-the-art science, strictly adhere to delivery time and quality, and observe the highest ethical standards”, said Swapan Bhattacharya, Managing Director, TCG Lifesciences Limited.

“Our kilo lab would operate on a 24x7 basis with particular emphasis on efficiency, time optimization, innovative analytical techniques and highest quality control standards. We have taken great care in designing the labs and used the best-in-class equipment. Keeping in mind the spectrum of reaction handling capabilities, I am sure the lab will serve the varying needs of our existing and prospective customers. It will support all Investigative New Drugs (“IND”) enabling activities and the manufacture of clinical trial materials under GMP conditions. Other capabilities would include analytical method development, synthesis of impurities, metabolites and degradation products and stability studies, as per the international guidelines. Our in-house chemistry knowledge and experience generated over the years will help us develop and optimize safe, eco-friendly and cost effective processes,” said Jagdish Sastry, President, Custom Synthesis and Large Scale Manufacturing.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

The first recipient of the award will be announced in September 2008

The first edition of the Genomic Pioneers Award focuses on excellence in using oligonucleotides in advancing genomics research. Synthetic DNA oligonucleotides now have wide spectrum of applications ranging from being used in fundamental research, as diagnostic reagents to discovery of pharmaceutical compounds, making it an integral part of any scientific research. The first edition of this award will recognize the work of practicing scientists, who have demonstrated excellence in their novel use of oligonucleotides in Functional Genomics. The award will carry a prize of €3000 (EU). INR 1,00,000 (India), USD 3000 (Asia Pacific). The deadlines for applications from EU and Asia Pacific is September 20. Applications from India are due on August 30.

Anu Acharya, CEO, Ocimum Biosolutions said “Through the first version of Genomic Pioneers, we intend to elucidate the wide ranging utilities and applications of oligonucleotides and how it happens to be a bridge between basic research and target discovery. We hope this award will be a trend setter and would encourage new avenues of industry-industry and industry-academia collaboration”

“We hope that this will also inculcate new practices in industrial social responsibility and this is our way of reaching out to the community which we all belong to” said Ashwin Sivakumar, Director- Marketing and Outreach at Ocimum Biosolutions

For more details please visit: http://www.ocimumbio.com/web/outreach/awardIntro.asp

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Ocimum Biosolutions:

Ocimum Biosolutions is a leading integrated genomics company providing comprehensive genomic reference databases, life science lab information management solutions, GLP-compliant microarray services and essential research consumables. Over 2/3rd of the top 25 pharma companies, leading research institutes and emerging biotech companies worldwide have chosen us as their preferred outsourcing partner and utilize our expertise for understanding underlying mechanisms of diseases, discovery and prioritization of gene targets and biomarkers.
We are a preferred outsourcing partner for providing integrated biorepository and genomic services for several global pharmaceutical companies. Our global infrastructure, standardized procedures, capacity, expertise and highly skilled staff support drug development programs from pre-clinical target development and toxicogenomic assessment to clinical biomarker identification and patient stratification. In creating the world's largest commercial gene expression databases – BioExpress® and ToxExpress®, we have developed expertise and capabilities that are unparalleled in the genomic services industry. Our Specialty LIMS solution, Biotracker™ caters to the growing needs of core labs in global companies and research centers involved in Life Science Research. We provide multiple GLP-compliant platforms for gene expression and SNP genotyping data generation. We also provide full biorepository and genomic services support for the Genetic Alliance, which is an umbrella organization representing ~600 genetic advocacy groups. Besides providing the physical infrastructure for storing thousands of biological samples, we provide services to assist sample accrual, IRB approvals, CRO training, sample collection, clinical data capture and management.
For more information, please visit www.ocimumbio.com

Dr. Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder & CMD, Avesthagen Limited, said, "We are delighted to commence work on the new campus. Along with Ascendas we are proud to begin work on enhancing infrastructure facilities at Bangalore to make it a premier biotechnology destination globally. The center will provide a fully integrated technology platform and turnkey solutions for the production of various products to the biotech industry and the scientific community. "

The design is in sync with firm’s philosophy and will emphasize on natural elements such as trees, fountains, natural lighting and ventilations, etc. The new campus will house state of the art research & development facilities; the research facilities on the campus will go a long way in supporting high end global research in the field of bio-technology. Avesthagen is designing this campus on best-in-class sustainability principles to achieve energy efficiency, water sustainability, preservation and promotion of biodiversity and effective waste management.

This campus will be developed along with Ascendas, Asia's leading provider of business space solutions. Avesthagen will tap on Ascendas’ expertise in creating world-class business space and develop this project into one of the most preferred destinations in India.

Mr. Lim Sin Tiow, CEO, India Operations, Ascendas said, “It gives us great pleasure to work with Avesthagen Limited to build this new world class campus for biotechnology. This project reiterates our commitment to provide a wider range of business options to our customers for their expansion in India’s booming life sciences industry.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About AVESTHAGEN LIMITED

AVESTHAGEN LIMITED (www.avesthagen.com) is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioActives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

Disclaimer:
Avesthagen Limited is proposing, subject to receipt of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, a public issue of its equity shares and to file a Draft Red Herring Prospectus with SEBI. This announcement does not constitute an offer of equity shares for sale in any jurisdiction, including the United States of America, and any equity shares of the Company may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from registration.

ABOUT ASCENDAS IN INDIA

Ascendas develops IT Parks and hi-tech buildings, as well as Built-to-Suit and Ready-Built Facilities. Starting with the landmark International Tech Park Bangalore (ITPB), Ascendas has since followed on its success with CyberPearl and The V in Hyderabad, and International Tech Park Chennai (ITPC). Ascendas is also developing International Tech Park in Pune (ITPP) and CyberVale within Mahindra World City in Chennai. Ascendas will also be developing two integrated IT SEZ projects in Coimbatore and Gurgaon.

In June 2007, Ascendas launched the Ascendas India Development Trust (AIDT), a private development fund focusing on integrated property development projects. In August 2007, the Ascendas India Trust (a-iTrust) was launched as Singapore’s first listed Indian property trust.

Both the organizations will also undertake research in the area of genetic engineering and engineering metabolic pathways of medicinal plants for increasing concentration of the active ingredients using physiochemical and molecular approaches,develop oilseeds and pulses with improved nutrition effect, tolerance to drought and salinity and improved nutrient utilization efficiency. The bionutra programme at Avesthagen will get anenhanced impetus by associating with a bodysuch asICMR which is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world and brings with it enormous experience in almost every aspect ofIndian traditional medicine.

Dr.S.K.Bhattacharya, Additional Director General and Officiating DG of ICMR, said, "While ICMR has established linkages with private sector under the framework of public-private partnerships - the present MoUbetween ICMR and Avesthagen Limited is indeed the first of its kind in the research area of traditional Indian medicinal plants.We welcome this initiative and look forward to working closely with the scientists at Avesthagen.”

On the occasion of the signing of the MoU, Dr.Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder, Chairman & Managing Director of Avesthagen Limited said, “I am extremely delighted at joining hands with ICMR. We, at Avesthagen have been investing and developing various tools and methodologies for the identification and validation of plant bio-actives. These efforts of ours would be made use for both therapy and preventive healthcare. Avesthagen’s important and unique association with ICMR will hasten this process and also provide an independent view of our results.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About ICMR

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. The Council's research priorities coincide with the National health priorities such as control and management of communicable diseases, fertility control, maternal and child health, control of nutritional disorders, developing alternative strategies for health care delivery, containment within safety limits of environmental and occupational health problems; research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes and other metabolic and haematological disorders; mental health research and drug research (including traditional remedies). All these efforts are undertaken with a view to reduce the total burden of disease and to promote health and well-being of the population.

AVESTHAGEN LIMITED (www.avesthagen.com) is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioActives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

Disclaimer

Avesthagen Limited is proposing, subject to receipt of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, a public issue of its equity shares and to file a Draft Red Herring Prospectus with SEBI. This announcement does not constitute an offer of equity shares for sale in any jurisdiction, including the United States of America, and any equity shares of the Company may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from registration

In October 2007, ABRAXANE was approved by the Drug Controller General of India. The approval was based on the clinical trial data that was the basis of approval in the United States. The Phase III clinical trial in the U.S. demonstrated that ABRAXANE nearly doubled the response rate, significantly prolonged time to progression, and significantly improved overall survival in the second-line setting versus solvent-based Taxol® in the approved indication.

In the U.S. pivotal head-to-head trial, the overall response rate of ABRAXANE was 33% vs. 19% compared to Taxol (P = .001), and ABRAXANE achieved a 25% percent improvement in time to tumor progression (23.0 weeks vs. 16.9 weeks; hazard ratio = 0.75; P = .006) when compared to Taxol. Furthermore, patients receiving ABRAXANE in the second-line setting had a significantly prolonged survival by an additional 27% compared to solvent-based Taxol (56.4 weeks vs. 46.7 weeks; P = 0.24). The tolerability with ABRAXANE and Taxol was comparable, despite the 50% greater dose of paclitaxel administered as ABRAXANE.

"The launch of ABRAXANE in India represents a major strategic step in our plan to provide safer and more effective cancer treatments on a global scale,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Abraxis BioScience. “In addition to India, our marketing agreement with Biocon covers more than ten countries, and we are working closely with national authorities throughout the region to receive regulatory approvals and commence marketing activities as soon as practicable.”

“This launch provides breakthrough therapeutics to cancer patients in India,” said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon. “ABRAXANE is a significant advance in taxane therapy for the treatment of breast cancer. This unique product eliminates the need for chemical solvents and allows for higher doses of paclitaxel without compromising safety and tolerability. The launch of ABRAXANE reiterates our belief in strategic licensing partnerships to advance therapeutics in India, and we take great pride in providing oncologists in India with the latest treatment in breast cancer.”

Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw noted that ABRAXANE is an important addition to Biocon's Oncotherapeutics portfolio, which has already seen the successful launch of its proprietary antibody, BIOMAb EGFR™ for the treatment of head and neck cancers.

Neil Desai, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development at Abraxis BioScience, said, “ABRAXANE is the first nanotechnology based anti-cancer drug that is administered as albumin-bound particles of approximately 130 nanometers and takes advantage of albumin, a natural protein that acts as the body's key transporter of nutrients and other water-insoluble molecules and accumulates in tumor tissues. The drug has demonstrated superiority in progression free survival over both Taxol® Injection and Taxotere® Injection in recent randomized clinical trials. The initial clinical trials for ABRAXANE were conducted in India and we are very satisfied to be able to bring this drug to the Indian patients through our partner Biocon.”

Rakesh Bamzai, President – Marketing, Biocon, said, “Presently, more than 100,000 new cases of breast cancer occur in Indian women every year. Breast cancer is the second largest cause of death among women diagnosed with cancer in India. With the launch of ABRAXANE through Biocon’s innovation led Oncotherapeutics division and the growing need for this drug in the country, we look forward to attaining market leadership in this segment.”

Cancer rates in India are lower than those seen in Western countries, but are rising with increasing migration of rural population to the cities, increasing life expectancy and changing lifestyles. The breast is the second most common site of cancer in women after the cervix uteri. In the metropolitan cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, it is the most common kind of cancer in women. The annual age-adjusted rate (AAR) varies between the urban and rural areas. In the urban areas, the AAR is 21.9 to 28.3 per 100,000, whereas in rural areas, it is 8.6 per 100,000.

In August 2007, Abraxis established a licensing agreement with Biocon for the commercialization of ABRAXANE in India. Under the terms of the agreement, Biocon has the right to market ABRAXANE in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and certain other South Asian and Persian Gulf countries. Subsequently, Abraxis received approval in October 2007 from India’s Drug Control General to market ABRAXANE in India.

ABRAXANE is approved for marketing in 35 countries. Abraxis has several pending patent applications in India relating to ABRAXANE.

In the Asia-Pacific region, ABRAXANE is approved for marketing in China and Korea in addition to India. ABRAXANE is under regulatory review for the treatment of breast cancer by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, the Federal Authority for Healthcare and Social Development Regulation in Russia, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About ABRAXANE®

ABRAXANE® is a solvent-free chemotherapy treatment option for metastatic breast cancer. Developed using Abraxis BioScience's proprietary nabTM technology platform, ABRAXANE is a protein-bound chemotherapy agent, which combines paclitaxel with albumin, a naturally-occurring human protein, to deliver the drug and eliminate the need for solvents in the administration process. Because solvents are eliminated, ABRAXANE allows for the delivery of a 49% higher dose compared to solvent-based paclitaxel (Taxol®) without compromising safety and tolerability. ABRAXANE is administered in 30 minutes (as compared to three hours for solvent-based paclitaxel).

ABRAXANE is currently in various stages of investigation for the treatment of the following cancers: first-line metastatic breast, non-small cell lung, malignant melanoma, pancreatic, and gastric. The most serious adverse events associated with ABRAXANE in the randomized metastatic breast cancer study for which FDA approval was based included neutropenia, anemia, infections, sensory neuropathy, nausea, vomiting and myalgia/arthralgia. Other common adverse reactions included anemia, asthenia, diarrhea, ocular/visual disturbances, fluid retention, alopecia, hepatic dysfunction, mucositis and renal dysfunction. For the full prescribing information for ABRAXANE, including Boxed Warning, please visit www.abraxane.com.

ABRAXANE was developed by Abraxis BioScience and is marketed in the United States under a co-promotion agreement between Abraxis and AstraZeneca.

About Biocon Limited

Biocon Limited is India’s pioneer biotechnology enterprise established in 1978. Biocon and its two subsidiaries, Syngene and Clinigene form a fully integrated biotechnology enterprise, with specialized focus on biopharmaceuticals, contract research and clinical research. Strategic international acquisitions, such as acquiring a majority in the German pharmaceutical company, AxiCorp, have given Biocon wider global access and greater market penetration. Many of our products have USFDA and EMEA acceptance.

Biocon’s proprietary technologies have been used effectively in diabetology, oncology, cardiology, nephrology and other therapeutic treatments. The company’s robust drug discovery pipeline offers novel therapies on a platform of affordable innovation. Biocon launched the world's first recombinant human insulin, INSUGENâ in November 2004 using Pichia expression and India's first indigenously produced monoclonal antibody BIOMAb-EGFR™ in September 2006. Visit the company at www.biocon.com

About Abraxis BioScience

Abraxis BioScience is a fully integrated global biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and delivery of next-generation therapeutics and core technologies that offer patients safer and more effective treatments for cancer and other critical illnesses. The company's portfolio includes the world's first and only protein-bound chemotherapeutic compound (ABRAXANE), which is based on the company's proprietary tumor targeting technology known as the nabTM platform. The first FDA approved product to use this nabTM platform, ABRAXANE, was launched in 2005 for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Abraxis trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol ABII. For more information about the company and its products, please visit www.abraxisbio.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, hopes, goals, intentions, initiatives or strategies, including statements regarding the launch of ABRAXANE in India. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, unexpected safety, efficacy or manufacturing issues with respect to ABRAXANE; the need for additional data or clinical studies for ABRAXANE; regulatory developments (domestic or foreign) involving the company’s manufacturing facilities; the market adoption and demand of ABRAXANE, the costs associated with the ongoing launch of ABRAXANE; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the availability and pricing of ingredients used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products; the ability to successfully manufacture products in a time-sensitive and cost effective manner; the acceptance and demand of new pharmaceutical products; and the impact of patents and other proprietary rights held by competitors and other third parties. Additional relevant information concerning risks can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and in other documents it has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The information contained in this press release is as of the date of this release. Abraxis assumes no obligations to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

Taxol® is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

Dr.Tarun Khanna is the Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at the Harvard Business School, where he has been a member of the Strategy group since 1993. He holds a BS degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Dr.Khanna heads the Strategy course in the Harvard MBA program and the Strategy, Leadership & Governance Executive Education program. He also lectures and consults with companies and governments worldwide. Dr.Khanna has contributed articles to Harvard Business Review and Foreign Policy and has served as an expert for major news organizations such as Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the Far Eastern Economic Review, CNN, and CNBC.

“We are very excited that Tarun has joined our Board of Directors. Tarun’s vast experience in global strategy and understanding of the emerging markets will facilitate GVK BIO to grow to the next level “, said Mr.D.S.Brar, Chairman, GVK Biosciences.

Serving on the Advisory Boards of several multinational and emerging market companies in the financial services, automotive, life sciences and agribusiness sectors, Dr. Khanna has experience in a wide variety of industries. He was nominated a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2007.

Dr.Tarun Khanna said that, "I am pleased to join the GVK Biosciences Board of Directors at this exciting time of the Company and Industry and I look forward to this association."

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About GVK BIO

GVK Biosciences (www.gvkbio.com), Asia’s leading Contract Research Organization, delivers integrated research services to big Pharma and Biotech companies globally. The company accelerates the Drug Discovery and Development process of its customers through science and innovation. Currently the company has more than 1,300 employees spread across facilities in Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Gurgaon.

These biopharmaceutical products are being developed as per global regulatory standards by ABRPL, a joint venture between Avesthagen Limited and Meditab Specialities, and are targeted at important therapeutic indications namely, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia resulting from chronic renal failure or chemotherapy and colorectal cancer.

Avesthagen Limited is one of the pioneering developers of these high-technology entry barrier products that will eventually be launched in the Indian market. Company sources revealed that said products will progress to clinical evaluation during early 2009 based on the outcome of the pre-clinical evaluation.

In line with Avesthagen Limited’s mission to research, develop and commercialize cutting edge biopharmaceutical products through global partnership programs from India, these advanced therapeutic solutions that are currently out of reach for almost all Indian patients will be made available at affordable cost.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

AVESTHAGEN LIMITED (www.avesthagen.com) is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioActives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

The development will facilitate and assist Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited’s foray in US market especially to expand its CRAMS business. With mutual understanding and agreement, Dr. Scott M. Brown shall continue as President and Chief Scientific Officer of BPD Inc. and Dr. Rajeev Datar shall be the new Chief Executive Officer of BPD Inc.

Sharing the details of the development, Dr. Rajeev Datar, said, “With Intas Biopharmaceuticals and BPD Inc. coming together, the two companies complement technical strengths of each other. Both the companies shall gain expertise from the synergies in technical areas like gene expression optimization, medium optimization cell culture/fermentation services, protein purification scale-up and analytical services thereby expanding the scope of CRAMS activities.”

Expressing his views on the development, Dr. Scott M. Brown, said, “We are pleased to become associates with Intas Biopharmaceuticals who are leaders in area of biologics in India. Jointly we compliment each other on technology front and we, at BPD Inc., are looking forward to jointly work with Intas Biopharmaceuticals in the area of R&D and explore new technology frontiers.”

Intas Biopharmaceutical’s venture into CRAMS business has opened up new vistas for R&D in biosimilars. Dr. Dhananjay Patankar, Chief Technical Officer of Intas Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., has worked the technical evaluation of the business plan. Dr. Dhananjay Patankar, said, “IBPL has taken up CRAMS opportunity as a focus area with tremendous potential and are preparing to scale up the facilities. IBPL offers a unique business model for offshore clients and has competitive advantage in terms of developing new biotech products, technology transfer and contract manufacturing at committed costs, quality and time to create a competitive advantage for the client.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited

Since launch of biotechnology operations in May 2000, Research & Development, Manufacturing and Marketing of biopharmaceutical products, with a special focus on Oncology (Cancer), are major thrust areas for IBPL. The company is India’s first and only biopharmaceuticals manufacturing company to receive European Union – Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP) certification. Today, Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited is the sole manufacturer of Pegylated GCSF in India and markets under the brand name “NEUPEG”. (Website: www.intasbiopharma.co.in)

About Biologic Process Development Incorporated:

Based in Poway, California, BPD Inc. is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) offering diversified services in the area of Molecular Biology. The biotechnology corporation offers wide range of R&D services including Express optimization, cell culture, bacterial fermentation, early-stage consulting services. Headed by Dr. Scott M. Brown, it offers experience in cloning expressing heterologous genes in microbial and non-microbial systems as well as protein purification from native and recombinant sources. (Website: www.biologicspd.com)

With those nine major agreements, sanofi-aventis and its vaccines division sanofi pasteur are actively partnering with biotech companies to develop molecules & vaccines for the future. Sanofi-aventis and sanofi pasteur have already committed to research and development partnerships with major universities, research institutes, government bodies, and contract research organizations.

With a strong representation at the 2008 BIO International Convention held in San Diego, California this week, the Group wants to seek new partnerships with biotechnology companies and academic institutions in an effort to speed up the discovery and development of new molecules and vaccines.

“By expanding our Research & Development partnering activities, we shall complete our portfolio and offer more innovative solutions to improve patients’ lives. Therefore we are developing a proactive partnership agenda to remain at the leading edge of research, especially in biotechnology and biotherapy” declared Marc Cluzel, Senior Vice President, Research & Development, sanofi-aventis. “In our development model, we dedicate our power and leadership to ensure that external breakthrough discoveries become successful innovative products”, he added.

“We are interested in partners who will share our pursuit of innovation and our drive for excellence, and will become a part of a global health success story,” added Wayne Pisano, President and Chief Executive Officer of sanofi pasteur. “We welcome the opportunity to evaluate technologies and projects related to the development and production of human vaccines -- both prophylactic and therapeutic -- against infectious diseases, cancer and chronic diseases.”

According to Wayne Pisano, who is also a member of the Health Section Governing Body of BIO, sanofi pasteur’s collaborations cover virtually all aspects of vaccine development, including early-stage research.

“Large, established companies like sanofi-aventis and its vaccines division sanofi pasteur join small and new companies in attending the BIO International Convention to identify potential collaborations and partnerships that will ultimately lead to health-care innovations for the world,” said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization. "With an expected 12,000 partnering meetings expected to take place over the next few days, we anticipate that many new collaborations will begin as a result of these discussions."

Major recent R&D Partnership Agreements

This past year, sanofi-aventis initiated a major global collaboration with Regeneron to develop and commercialize fully-human therapeutic antibodies and increased its stake in Regeneron to 19%. The first therapeutic antibody entering clinical development under the collaboration is SAR153191, an antibody to the Interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) that will be tested in rheumatoid arthritis. The second one is SAR153192, an antibody to Delta-like ligand-4 (Dll4) that will be developed in oncology.

Sanofi-aventis has also entered into a strategic collaboration with Dyax in which sanofi-aventis has been granted an exclusive worldwide license for the development and commercialization of the fully human monoclonal antibody SAR161578, that has therapeutic potential in numerous solid tumors, as well as a license to Dyax’s proprietary antibody phage display technology.

Moreover, sanofi-aventis entered into a research collaboration with the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, China, to generate therapeutic antibodies directed to acute myeloid leukemia stem cells.

This past year, sanofi pasteur signed two agreements with Acambis : one on a new, single-dose Japanese encephalitis vaccine and another for the development of a vaccine to prevent West Nile virus disease, which is considered endemic in the U.S.

"We chose to partner with sanofi pasteur for its vision to bring critical vaccines to market, its manufacturing and distribution capabilities throughout the world, its considerable understanding of the regulatory systems, and its proven ability to commercialize vaccines successfully”, declared Ian Garland, Acambis CEO.

Other Agreements

Also in the past year, sanofi pasteur entered into other agreements with biotech companies and academic institutions, such as the Statens Serum Institut of Denmark on a new tuberculosis vaccine to fill a significant unmet medical need around the globe, with Crucell on monoclonal antibodies against rabies, with MedImmune on the licensure of its reverse genetics technology being used for pandemic preparedness, and with Institut Pasteur of France on the development of a malaria vaccine to relieve affected population from this scourge.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT:

SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY). For more information, please visit: www.sanofi-aventis.com or www.sanofi-aventis.us.

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, provided more than a 1.6 billion doses of vaccine in 2007, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, sanofi pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us

The highly specialized cell biology reagents and equipment product line will be the largest stem cell portfolio in India, and will also include such well respected suppliers as BioLegend (USA), Apollo Cytokine Research (Australia), Cell Sciences (USA), American Fluoroseal Corporation (USA), CellGenix (Germany), and BioSpherix (USA). Additionally, TotipotentSC will have the most significant product range for use in clinical cell processing which will meet Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.

“We are excited to launch our company in India, which is quickly emerging as one of the most important stem cell markets globally. Coming to Asia, and more specifically India, is a strategic decision, and we are extremely proud to contribute our part to this wonderful region rich in science and culture”, says Ken Harris, Chairman.

The stem cell market in India represents approximately 15-20% of the world’s clinical trials, and government and private investing is growing at a strong double digit annual rate.

“We are excited to launch our company to meet the growing needs of cell biology, cancer biology, immunology and stem cell biology customers in India and South East Asia. We will collaborate with customers as a strategic partner to tackle their most complex issues from basic research to translational research to clinical for human health problems” says Srikumar Kasthuri, Executive Director.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

TotipotentSC based in Chennai India and Los Angeles USA, is a leading cell biology supplier and consulting company providing cutting-edge technologies, tools, consumables, reagents and equipments in the stem cell biology and Immunology marketplace. We specialize in importing and exporting research and clinical grade products into and out of the Indian marketplace, and in assisting clients to comply with Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) regulations.

We, all citizens of India ,are proud of Dr Lokesh Gupta, for his contribution and illuminating the name of Vitalife Labratories (A division of Arch Pharmaceuticals Limited) around the Globe.

We wish him success in all his endeavours in future too.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Major Manjit Singh, General Manager -HRD & Administration of Vitalife Laboratories (A division of Arch Pharmalabs Ltd.) A hardcore HRD manager who keeps his team always trained and motivated to give their best to the organisation.Takes keen interests in Nation building and Social upliftment activities. He actively participates in writing articles and comments towards better Nation building.With more than1200 employees in 4 locations across India, Arch Pharmalabs Limited and Arch Pharmalabs (USA) are leading supplier of APIs and Intermediates to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

Arch Pharmalabs is,WHO & GMP Accredited Company,created in 1999, now operates multiple manufacturing and R&D facilities, recognized as a Global Leader in Isoxazole penicillin side chains, and maintains a product portfolio that supports numerous therapeutic segments including antibiotics, psychotropics, cardiovascular, antiulcerants, antihistamines, and antifungals.

The study, published in the April issue of international research journal "Acta Tropica", suggests that genetically manipulating the production of defensin protein in Anopheles stephensi, the major vector of plasmodium in urban India, may make the mosquito resistant to the parasite and unable to transmit it.

Dr Dixit belongs to Dungerwas, a small village in Rewari district, and is an alumnus of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU).

During his Ph.D, Dixit worked on a major research project of understanding the molecular biology of the salivary gland of A. stephensi, an important malaria vector.

In collaboration with NCCS and National Institute of Malaria Research, Delhi, Dr Dixit identified a novel molecule that can be an anti-malarial target.

After this two-year training, he wants to return to his roots. " I would like to share my research experiences with young researchers working in the field in my country," he maintains.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have two defining properties: the ability to differentiate into other cells and the ability to self-regenerate. The ability to differentiate is the potential to develop into other specialized cell types. Self-regeneration is the ability of stem cells to divide and produce more stem cells.

Stem cells are the building blocks of various organs and tissues in the body. Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Cryobanks International India is a JV between Cryobanks International Inc., USA and RJ Corp founded in 2006. Cryobanks International Inc., USA is a world leader in the stem cell banking serving since decades. This joint venture has set up the first modern, state-of-the-art cord blood stem cell bank in India at Gurgaon under the leadership of Ms Dhara Jaipuria. It aims to become one of the largest cord blood stem cell bank and a highly specialized training centre in the field of cord blood banking. Cryobanks India will have special focus on research of stem cell therapies as a potential treatment for cardiac diseases and diabetes.

Cryobanks India has set up 28,000 square feet, state-of-the-art stem cell processing and banking facility in Gurgaon. The company provides a facility of collection from all major cities in India.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Rotavirus infections are the single largest cause of severe diarrheal disease among infants and children worldwide and cause more than 500,000 deaths in infants and children each year, with 90% of these deaths occurring in the world’s poorest countries. Rotavirus diarrhea causes more than 120,000 deaths in India alone.

The Phase I/II trial was designed as a Double-blind Randomized Placebo Controlled Dose Escalating Study of ORV 116E in healthy non-malnourished infants 8-20 weeks of age with safety and immunogenicity as the primary and secondary objectives, respectively. The study was conducted by the Society for Applied Studies in New Delhi.

The doses selected for administration were 104.0 and 105.0 FFU with reactogenicity, immunogenicity and viral shedding as the study endpoints. One-hundred and eighty-seven infants were enrolled for the 104.0 FFU dosage and 182 were enrolled for the 105.0 FFU dosage.

ORV 116E was well tolerated after three administrations with no differences observed in mild, moderate or severe adverse events among vaccine and placebo recipients in both the 104.0 and 105.0 FFU dosages. ORV 116E was immunogenic with 62.1% and 89.7% of the infants seroconverting after three doses of the 104.0 and 105.0 FFU dosages, respectively. These favorable early clinical results are encouraging and warrant further development of ORV 116E as a new rotavirus vaccine for young infants in developing world settings.

Bharat Biotech International Limited Hyderabad is a leading manufacturer of vaccines and biotherapeutics in India. Bharat Biotech has successfully developed the commercial manufacturing, testing and release processes for ORV 116E. The 116E vaccine candidate has undergone extensive characterization and quality control testing at Bharat Biotech and at external agencies abroad. The Phase III clinical trials for ORV 116E are planned to start in 2009.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Important information about forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered “forward-looking”. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and, accordingly, entail and are influenced by various risks and uncertainties. The Company therefore cannot provide any assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize and does not assume an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.

The project entails setting up 25,000 Common Service centers (CSCs) in rural India across six states namely West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. These Centres would link the rural areas with the entire world and provide all necessary services needed by them. Beginning from e-governance to e-commerce and to e-learning have already been incorporated in the bouquet of services to be offered and the plan is to gradually expand the service range.

Mr. Hemant Kanoria, Chairman & Managing Director of SREI informed that “the implementation has already begun in West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu and within the end of next year all these 25,000 centres would be operational.”

Under a unique model created by the Company people would be empowered at the operating level. About 25,000 Entrepreneurs would run these centres and they in turn would create direct employment of another 75,000 persons in the rural areas. The VLE or the Village Level Entrepreneur will operate the CSCs, offering a variety of services, which would include programme, and facilities that the government would provide in the rural areas like birth certificates, land records among others. SREI Sahaj would add the e-commerce and e-learning products to makes it remunerative for the village level entrepreneur.

“SREI has always believed in creating partnerships and through this initiative we will create 25,000 new rural partners within a span of two years across six states in India”, said Hemant Kanoria.

“This Venture of creating rural infrastructure is exciting and will service 21 crore rural people, i.e. about 33% of the rural population of our country” said Mr. Kanoria. The government’s plan is to set up 1,00,000 CSCs for offering such services. SREI’s share through its operations in the six states has already touched 25 percent, which would make it the single largest service provider in the rural area.

“Our plan is to expand to other states and cover a large part of the country through our rural partnership approach. It is a mammoth task, but in our one year of trial, we are convinced that we can achieve our target” said Dr. Sabahat Azim, CEO, SREI Sahaj e-Village Ltd.

The Sahaj-developed e-learning model offers unique courses in English language and Computer learning through a broadcast device over Internet.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

ABOUT SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited

SREI is one of India’s leading private sector infrastructure equipment finance, project finance & project advisory and development services companies. The company has also developed strong expertise in areas of investment banking and venture funds, besides insurance broking. SREI operates across the country with a network of 51 offices and has expanded its operations overseas in Russia. SREI is the first Indian Infrastructure Financing Company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). International Finance Corporation (IFC) Washington (World Bank Group), KfW Germany & DEG Germany (Financial Institutions owned by the Government of Germany), FMO the Netherlands (Financial Institution owned by the Government of Netherlands), BIO Belgium (Financial Institutions owned by the Government of Belgium) and FINFUND Finland (Financial Institution owned by the Government of Finland) are among the large stakeholders in the Company.

ABOUT SREI SAHAJ e-Village Limited

SREI SAHAJ e-Village Limited is a subsidiary of SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited. It is a business integrator in the field of IT infrastructure with a focus on rural India. It has 30 offices across 6 states and is emerging as one of the largest implementers of ICT projects in India.

Intas Biopharmaceuticals is consolidating its presence in the domestic oncology market by focussing on marketing novel therapies and drugs that cater to Solid Tumours, Haematology and Supportive Therapies. Expanding its current portfolio of lung cancer drugs, which comprises of GEMIBINE, CARBOPA, TAXOCARE, and CYTAX, company is eying to grab a major market share in India.

Announcing the marketing launch of GEFFY, Mr. Simon Daniel, Chief Executive, Marketing, Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited, said, “The introduction of GEFFY in our product basket is going to strengthen our domestic market share for the lung cancer market. With increase prevalence of smoking, lung cancer has reach epidemic proportions in India. It has surpassed the earlier form of cancer that of oropharynx, and now is the commonest malignancy in males. In addition to smoking, occupational exposure to carcinogens indoor air pollution and dietary factors have recently been implicated in the causation of lung cancer.

In view of our large population, the burden of lung cancer will be enormous in India. As of today, drugs, catering to lung cancer, have market potential of approximately Rs. 80 crores in India. With introduction of GEFFY in our product basket, we look to tap nearly 15–20 percent of total lung cancer market in the first year.”

Sharing views on safety and efficacy of GEFITINIB drug, Dr. Vimal Sanghavi, Head (Medical Services), Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited, said, “Molecular genetics of lung cancer has opened up new vistas of research and targeted anti-cancer therapies are the subject of ongoing research and that offer potential of cancer therapy with minimal side effects. The majority of patients with NSCLC eventually develop metastatic disease or disease that is not amenable to local therapies only and are potential candidates for systemic therapies.

As GEFITINIB is a selective chemotherapeutic agent, its tolerability profile is far superior to previous cytotoxic agents. It has the potential to shrink tumour size, stabilise disease and relieve debilitating symptoms, without the toxic effects of traditional chemotherapy. With already established preclinical studies, GEFITINIB effectively ‘switches off’ EGFR signalling system, which is the system that triggers cancer cells to divide out of control.”

As per recent studies and estimates, more than 90,000 men and 79,000 women are diagnosed each year with cancer of the lungs and bronchi (the air tubes leading to the lungs). Among men, the incidence of lung cancer has been declining, but it continues to increase among women. The number of lung cancer deaths among women surpasses those from breast cancer. Female smokers may be more likely to develop lung cancer than male smokers.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited

Starting with a product basket of a few oncology products in 1999, today, Intas Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. can boast of one of the most comprehensive oncology product basket comprising of 26 products in different dosage forms (capsules, injections, tablets and pre-filled syringes). Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited is the first biotechnology company in India to come out with four biopharmaceutical products and is the only company in Gujarat, which is involved in Research & Development, Manufacturing and Marketing of Recombinant Protein Products related to Oncology (Cancer). Till date, IBPL has marketed more than 2,50,000 syringes of G-CSF and EPO each that catered to the needs of more than 30,000 patients. Each day, there is a significant addition to these numbers as more patients are benefited from our Oncology and Nephrology products.

In addition to marketing oncology products, through its own team of sales professionals, Intas Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. has entered into several co-marketing and contract manufacturing agreements with leading pharmaceuticals/biotech companies across the country. These agreements include supply/distribution of Biopharmaceuticals products in Oncology and Nephrology segments. IBPL is looking to enter into a variety of strategic marketing and distribution deals with leading companies in India.

The epidemiological trends of MENA region combined with high population growth, the current socio economical situation along with the improvement of educational level are as many elements in favour, not only of a growing need for biotech products and services in the region in the near future, but also for an equitable access to such products and services.”

With recently announced agreement in North America for Neukine®, IBPL’s reach has extended to every continent and geographical region. This business deal brings together two companies, with complimentary strengths and niche expertise, which will help in launching the first GCSF generic in North America. After EU GMP certification, the entry into semi-regulated markets has become relatively easy for IBPL as the quality conscious Pharma/Biotech companies are assured of superior quality of products and services. Amongst regulated/semi-regulated markets, IBPL offers an edge over its competitors in terms of unique pricing, products, services and its marketing strategy. With unique capabilities of R&D, Manufacturing and Marketing, IBPL has significant presence in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Russia & CIS, South and Central America and Africa.

Further elaborating on company’s future prospects, Mr. Simon Daniel said, “IBPL is looking to consolidate its position in the Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS) segment. The company has taken up CRAMS opportunity as a focus area with tremendous potential and are preparing to scale up the facilities. With respect to CRAMS, IBPL offers a unique business model for offshore clients from regulated/semi-regulated markets and has competitive advantage in terms of developing new biotech products, technology transfer and contract manufacturing at committed costs, quality and time to create a competitive advantage for the company. With growing business opportunities, IBPL will find itself in the best position to plan certain key initiatives in the coming financial year.”

Speaking on IBPL’s domestic operations, Mr. Daniel said, “In order to give impetus to IBPL’s sales activities, the company plans to launch new sales division BRIDGE catering to Nephrology / Neurology therapeutic areas. IBPL is the only Indian biotech company to manufacture Pegylated GCSF and market it under the brand name Neupeg™. The product offers treatment against toxicity caused due to chemotherapy in cancer patients. This USP has prompted the need for a special and dedicated sales division RELAY. IBPL has doubled its sales force to allow more focussed approach towards niche therapeutic areas of Oncology. Keeping in view the future product pipeline, increasing the sales force is an important step towards strengthening IBPL’s presence in the domestic market.”

Intas entered the Indian anti-cancer market in the year 1998 with the launch of Novatech division (oncology marketing division). Starting with a product basket of a few oncology products in 1999, today, IBPL can boast of one of the most comprehensive oncology product basket comprising of 26 products in different dosage forms (capsules, injections, tablets and pre-filled syringes).

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Therapeutic vaccines are products that treat existing disease conditions and will be developed using ShigaMedix’s Antigen Vector System technology. The system targets the antigen presenting dendritic cells through the coupling of Shiga Toxin and HPV 16 / E 7 complex. Recent studies on animals have shown it to be effective in clearing the HPV induced tumor cells.

A similar technology will be used to develop an STxB – TB vaccine.

Avesthagen and ShigaMediX will co-develop this technology in both France and India through the Proof of Concept and would share the costs and rewards on an equal basis’ said Dr. Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder and CMD, Avesthagen Limited on signing the Letter of Intent.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Avesthagen Limited

Avesthagen Limited is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioactives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

Visit us at: www.avesthagen.com

Mr. Jerome Bonnafont in his speech expressed:

“As a woman, as a wife -you married 30 years ago-, as a mother of two daughters, as a scientist and ultimately as a businesswoman, in everything you excel.

Beyond your origins, your success must also be attributed to an unconventional temperament, particularly the tenacity of a scientist and businesswoman who has overcome many barriers and incredulity. How many times have you not knocked at the doors of research chairs and private laboratories in India in order to promote a research and business project based on innovation, risk-taking, multidisciplinarity, and a multi-molecular approach? On each occasion, the doors were opened just a crack, and that is why the scientist also became a company manager.

Your passion for and your contribution to France are expressed in the list of prestigious industrial partners who account for the success of your scientific and entrepreneurial talent : Biomérieux, Danone et Limagrain. It is also visible through your unflagging willingness to speak out and share your experience as a start up in the hi-tech world before the members of the French government (last speech in early 2007 during the India visit of the Minister for Industries), French parliamentarians (parliamentary committees and in December 2008 during the economic seminar at the Senate) and company heads who solicit your advice and experience.”

Accepting the award Dr.Patell observed, “France has always been known to recognize Avant-Garde ideas and people and give them a place in their country and in history. The first country to build its foundation on Liberty, equality and fraternity- strong ideals that were beyond their time.

In science too, long ago France gave a home to the world's first systems biologist Leonardo da Vinci who was ahead of his time but largely went unrecognized in his own home country during his lifetime.

Through his studies on living and non-living forms, from architecture to human anatomy, to turbulence of water and the growth patterns of grasses, he pioneered the empirical, systematic approach to the observation of Nature - what is today known as the scientific method.

Francois Premier (François the First) was able to recognize the talent and vision of the man and hosted him as royal guest at the Château Royal d'Amboise where Leonardo spent his last years. Back in the 16th century France was already supporting the coming to life of some of the most striking scientific, technological and artistic master pieces ever created. “

She further observed, “If India has to lead and succeed in this technology, one has to innovate. It requires institutions, governments and dare-devil entrepreneurs to come together and challenge and break existing dogma. Avesthagen has taken in its business model, Indian Biodiversity, disparate, disjointed events, technologies and opportunities and pieced them together to create the next wave of change in bioNutrition, bioPharmaceuticals, bioAgriculture.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Avesthagen Limited

Avesthagen Limited is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioactives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

Visit us at: www.avesthagen.com

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Ocimum Biosolutions:

Ocimum Biosolutions is an integrated life-sciences R&D enabling company providing focused solutions for different steps of the genomics process chain. After joining hands with Gene Logic, we offer a strong BioResearch portfolio including knowledge bases in Genomics and solutions in Toxicogenomics, Pharmacogenomics and Clinical Genomics. Through our BioIT division, we provide expertly trained lab information management solutions for life sciences, niche bioinformatics services and products for genomic research such as gene expression analysis, advanced statistical analysis, gene function analysis, genome annotation, sequence comparison and EST analysis. Our BioMolecules division provides essential molecular biology commodities like DNA oligonucleotides and flexible custom (and catalog) microarrays. All labs and software facilities are ISO 9001:2000 certified. Strict adherence to quality practices and prompt delivery times, not to mention the greatest respect for clients’ proprietary and confidential information, have further reinforced our position as one of the fastest growing, most dependable companies in the Biotechnology Industry.

You can contact Ocimum on phone at +1-866-227-7512 and on email at info@ocimumbio.com.

The manufacturing facility is built adhering to the highest standards of current Good Manufacturing Procedures (cGMP) for vaccines and biologics and most stringent criteria for containment of highly contagious and infectious organisms. The facility is specifically designed to enable product development and manufacturing of vaccines like Foot & Mouth disease vaccine (FMD).

Making the announcement, Dr. Krishna Ella, Chairman of BioVet said “BioVet goal is to address the significant gap in the application of latest technologies for providing health care solutions for small and large animals.” He said “BIOVET’s first product offering, FMD vaccine, is currently in the final stages of development and is slated for commercialization during 2008-2009. Foot and mouth disease in cattle, which is highly contagious and infectious, is known to be airborne with the ability to travel long distances and affects thousands of cattle in the vicinity.”

Foot and Mouth Diseases (FMD) today affects a growing number of cattle, sheep, horses and other cloven footed animals, causing catastrophic economical loss to small, marginal farmers that depend on the animals for their livelihood. Although several countries worldwide have eradicated FMD, it is a major disease problem in India causing significant amount of economic loss especially to the meat and dairy industries, by reducing their domestic sales and exports.

Explaining the uniqueness of the facility, Dr. S N Singh, Managing Director, BioVet said “BIOVET state of the art manufacturing facility meets the highest level of biological safety containment BSL-4.” He adds “Such facilities are required for the development and manufacture of modern biologicals. The containment and safety measures in the facility are the first of its kind in India and second in the world. We have ensured all aspects of the facility, air, water, sewage and biological waste are treated and are completely decontaminated before released into the environment.”

BIOVET’s mission is simple. We want to help the farming community by creating economic prosperity through self employment opportunity. Livestock is an effective instrument for socio economic transformation. BioVet will strive to bring about economic equity by providing animal healthcare products and programmes, which will help farmers, make informed decisions about their livestock and will prevent them from taking extreme measures giving hope and security to all.

BIOVET was founded by Dr. Krishna M. Ella in 2005, with the mission to develop Animal Biotech Products at global standards. He constituted a technical and scientific team with more than 200 years of combined experience in the areas of biotechnology, virology and cGMP manufacturing. The BIOVET team is headed by Dr. Shree Narayan Singh, who has decades of experience in veterinary biologicals and pharmaceuticals.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

This innovative biodegradable plastic is India’s first product aimed to curb white pollution and the hazards of environmental pollution. Alternate biodegradable materials are the need of the hour, to curb the unimaginable pollution caused by way of plastic bags andother plastic films which stay in our ecology for hundreds of years strangulating cattle and destroying ecology. With an annual usage of over 150 million tons of non-degradable plastic, the twentieth century may well be called the "Plastic Age". Further, as most non-degradable plastic used is from non-renewable resources such as petroleum, our increased consumption of plastic increases our reliance on imported oil as well.

Commenting on this landmark occasion, Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder, Chairperson & Managing Director, Avesthagen Limited said, “We are extremely glad that our partnership with Limagrain has resulted in the introduction of this alternative plastic material. This is our way of contributing back to the environment we live in. As research and innovation is core to Avesthagen, we would not stop here, but continue our work to introduce more environment friendly products.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Avesthagen Limited is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioactives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

For Avesthagen on the web: www.avesthagen.com

The agreement was signed by Dr. Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder, Chairperson and Managing Director, AVESTHAGEN LIMITED and Dr. Abdulqader Alkhayat, Executive Director of DuBiotech. The first project to be undertaken will include the launch and commercialization of BioPerceptä, an eco-friendly and biodegradable plastic in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and also establish a conversion plant to process BioPerceptä within the next two years. This alternate biodegradable plastic breaks down and becomes compost in a matter of 120 days under industrial composting conditions. The joint venture will explore future opportunities in the areas of Environment Adjusted Cropsä, AgriBiotech, bioActives for the food and beverage industry, Genome Project, Herb-Based projects among others.

Commenting on this landmark occasion, Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder, Chairperson & Managing Director, AVESTHAGEN LIMITED said, “We are extremely glad to partner with DuBiotech to explore joint possibilities of further science and research in the life sciences segment. The launch of BioPerceptä, a biodegradable plastic, is our way of contributing back to the environment we live in. As research and innovation is core to AVESTHAGEN, we would not stop here, but continue our work to introduce more environment friendly products.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Avesthagen Limited is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 500 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioactives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

www.avesthagen.com

It is in this background that the Society for Technology Management (STEM) will be hosting its flagship international program, the Graduate Course in IPR and Technology Transfer at Hotel Sullivan Court, Ooty, India from April 13-16, 2008. The STEM [ www.stemglobal.org] is a premier tech transfer forum inAsia developed with full support fromall the Indian public sector research institutions- the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and one leading multifaceted biotech and agribusiness management consultancy firm- Sathguru Management Consultants. The STEM forum has the support of leading technology management bodies including the Association of Universities for Technology Management (AUTM),and the Association of European Science and Technology Transfer Professionals (ASTP). STEM offers guidance and assistance to inventors and corporations on matters concerning intellectual property (IP) and technology licensing; andincreases general awareness about effective intellectual management and promotes capacity building among technology management professionals, both in Asia and globally.

The STEM IP program is a comprehensive introducton to the entire gamut of intellectual property rights and technology transfer. It includes sessions on

• IP policies;
  
• Patent prosecution;
  
• Infringementremedies;
  
• Technology licensing- options and methods;
  
• Valuations models;
• Licensing- Intricate issues

The faculty for this program are eminent people with years of experience in IP and Tech Transfer, and are suitably placed to guide the participants through the basics as well as advanced level issues involved in IP management. The confirmed faculty include Dr. Richard Cahoon, Cornell University; Patricia McClary, Cornell University; John Fraser, Florida State University; Sadhana Chaitale, NYSU; Dom Keating, US Embassy, Delhi; and many others from Asia and the world.

This program would enable the participants to understand and appreciate the intricacies involved in knowledge/IP capture and in managing IP. In addition, the program brings together participants from a cross-spectrum of the Indian Industry. It provides immense opportunities to engage in knowledge sharing and serious networking with the faculty as well.

Program brochure and registration form are available online at http://www.stemglobal.org

Enrolment closes 15 March, 2008.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

India being the largest milk producer in the world with an annual production of more than 100 million tons, is a huge potential of value added dairy products. Functional Systems plant will initially produce blends for the ice cream market and then will move on to other dairy products. The Enzyme plant will make enzyme blends to satisfy the needs of the Indian market for grain processing, textiles, laundry detergents, fuel ethanol, animal feed and food and beverages.

Danisco India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Danisco A/s, the Denmark headquartered USD 3.8 Billion (INR 14,820 Crores) international producer and supplier of food ingredients, sugar and industrial bio-products. The company has direct presence in 47 countries and an employee base of 9,700 worldwide.

Neil Prasad, Managing Director - South Asia & the Gulf States, Danisco India says: "For Danisco timing for our two plants is ideal. The changes in government legislation in processed food have spurred our functional system investment, while the obvious importance of Bio Technology in South Asia has resulted in our Enzyme Investment. We have also used the most up to date blending technology in our plants with versatile capacity.” – he adds. “The future is bright and can be seen all around you in the region, the retail industry is a good indicator which has moved in leaps & bounds over the last three years.”

“The SAARC region has been showing sustainable double digit growth in Danisco, and the new Functional System plant will give us an edge to become one of the first International functional system plants in the Region. This latest investment will strengthen our presence and commitment as a serious player in the region," says Anders Wilhjelm, Executive Vice President – Gums & Systems: Danisco A/s.

On Business potential in India Anders says, “'India is an important growth market to Gums & Systems – It’s difficult not to be excited about a market of 1 billion consumers experiencing good economic growth! As an ingredient leader we want to be at the forefront of this development and assist the Indian food industry in this growth story!”

The industrial enzymes segment of an estimated worth of USD 75 Million (INR 300 crores), is another quickly growing market in India. Danisco wants to seize this opportunity by opening an enzyme manufacturing plant, operated by it’s Genencor Enzyme Division. The plant will primarily produce enzyme blends to service the markets of animal nutrition, fuel ethanol, grain processing & textiles. The India textile industry is a major market for Genencor and the countries second largest employment generator after agriculture, contributing about 14% to the countries industrial production.

In addition, the opportunities presented in the various other industrial enzymes markets segments are a key driver for Danisco to strengthen it’s position in the Indian market and add local capabilities and production capacity through it’s Genencor Division.

“Danisco’s enzymes division, Genencor, has ambitious plans for Enzyme business in India, and has been increasing its presence and investing here to satisfy growing market opportunities for past few years,” says Dr. Raj Lad, Senior Director, India Market Development. “The new plant provides strong and reliable local support to our customers, and is a first step in a series of developments that will enhance our commitment and capabilities in this exciting market.”

Danisco leadership position in the global food & enzyme industry can be seen from the fact that Danisco ingredients are used in every second ice cream and cheese, every third box of detergent and every fourth loaf of bread produced globally. Based on technology platform Danisco produces ingredients for food and other products used in everyday life like dairy, biscuits, jams, ice creams, juices, animal feed, toothpaste, bio-fuel and plastics.

A considerable proportion of Danisco employees are engaged in research and development of new and more consumer friendly products for the international food industry. Today, the Group holds more than 2,000 active patents and patent applications. With production facilities located in more than 40 countries, many of them in rural areas close to the sources of raw materials, Danisco has an obligation to act in a responsible manner. Ensuring a safe workplace means fewer accidents, reducing water usage and energy costs, and preserving the environment. Employee training enables the company to reach its financial targets and retain valuable staff.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Danisco
With 9,700 employees in more than 40 countries, Danisco is one of the world's leading suppliers of food ingredients, sugar and industrial bio products. Based on our technology platform we use nature's own raw materials and resources to develop and produce ingredients for food and other products used in everyday life. Danisco ingredients are used in about every second ice cream and cheese, every third box of detergent and every fourth loaf of bread produced globally. Danisco ingredients based on food technology and biotechnology are also used in other consumer products – from feed and toothpaste to bio fuel and plastics. Throughout the value chain, sustainability is integrated in Danisco's way of doing business.

About Danisco South Asia
Neil Prasad started Danisco’s south Asian operations in 2000 with a small home office. Today, Danisco South Asia employs 50 people with turnover in excess of INR 50 Crores. South Asian setup consists of corporate office at Gurgaon and a sales office in Mumbai.

Commenting on the agreement, Dr Uday Saxena, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Kareus said “This is an exciting collaboration because it marries new target based discovery with the power of systems biology. We can now look at molecular pathways that normally get overlooked with a single target approach. It is like buying a new home and finding a map of all the roadways that it is connected with. We believe this alliance will accelerate our discovery of new therapeutics and targets"

Dr. Suri Venkatachalam, CEO, Connexios Life Sciences says “ This partnership with Kareus allows us to get into a completely new therapeutic area and the fact that we can leverage the deep understanding of the biology of Alzheimer’s and knowledge of novel targets that the Kareus team brings to the table gives us a jump start. The complementarities between this biology and our approach will help us to very rapidly create unique therapeutic options in an area which is desperately in need of new treatment modalities.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Connexios Connexios Life Sciences (www.connexios.com) is a systems biology based drug discovery company based in Bangalore, India. Connexios has built a unique network biology based drug discovery platform which permits early engagement with the biology of disease and drug action through a large library of protein, cell and animal based assays. This approach serves to reduce cycle time and costs and increase the efficiency of downstream studies leading up to clinical development. Connexios is developing an internal pipeline of molecules in multiple therapeutic areas using this discovery platform.

About Kareus Kareus Therapeutics is an emerging US based company engaged in discovery of new drugs for CNS and age-related diseases which are currently underserved for optimal treatments. The company applies target and gene expression based approaches in its discovery efforts. It uses strategic alliances with companies which have complementary and synergystic skills to build its drug pipeline.

Shri Dayanand Narvekar, Hon'ble Minister for Finance & IT, Govt. of Goa has consented to be Chief Guest. Mr. Srinivas Dempo, Chairman & Managing Director – Dempo Group of Companies will be the Guest of Honour and Dr. Purnima Sharma, Biotech Consortium India Ltd., New Delhi will be the Keynote Speaker for the Inaugural function.

Speakers from across the country namely Dr. Bosco Henriques, Dr. Siddhivinayak Barve & Dr. K.M. Shankar are invited to enlighten the delegates on various topics like 'Natural dyeing of textiles', 'Biotechnology of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants', 'Marine Diagnostics' etc. A special session on 'What Entrepreneurs need to know' from the point of view of Financial aspects & Risk Awareness would also be held by Mr. Sandeep Bhandare and Dr. P.D. Nare. Finally an interaction will be held with the audience by Dr. Nandkumar Kamat

We are showcasing a highly successful entrepreneurship story in the field of 'Diagnostics & Healthcare', situated within Goa. Another highlight of this seminar would be a special “GSIA Award of Excellence” which will be presented to a unit in Goa for showcasing high entrepreneurship skills and growth in the field of Biotechnology

Certain areas have been identified which should be nurtured by the State Government, Private Entrepreneurs and Corporates for promoting Biotechnology in the