Himalaya Drug Company has completed the cell line studies and part of the animal studies in its cancer research initiatives. The company is now looking for tie-ups with international universities to take the research further. Most of these universities are US-based, as cancer research is very advanced in America.

Himalaya is looking to make its research initiatives and clinical trials even more exhaustive and extensive through tie-ups with international and domestic universities. We are also exploring tie ups with leading hospitals both in India and abroad for clinical trials, Dr S K Mitra, executive director, R&D, Himalaya Global Holdings told Pharmabiz.

Among the other latest developments on the research front is its focus towards life style disorders which includes obesity and diabetes in particular. Efforts are on to bring out even more potent products in these categories. In this regard, the company has also tied up with Ras Al Khaima Medical Health & Science University in UAE, a centre carrying out path breaking research in lifestyle related disorders, to add greater impetus to the research already being undertaken by the company, stated Dr Mitra.

"The focus of our research is on developing products for the management of lifestyle-related disorders and researching drugs specific to diseases prominent in developing countries. We have arrived at a number of new formulations and have a robust pipeline of products which we will launch shortly," he added.

With the erratic lifestyle caused by the pace of life today, most people and an increasing number of youngsters are succumbing to various lifestyle-related disorders like high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, heart ailments, acidity, ulcers etc. All of these diseases if not treated on time can prove fatal even within a few years of their onset. However, most of the medication currently available in the market has side effects. With this in mind, Himalaya has undertaken research to formulate herbal medications for a variety of lifestyle-related disorders, thereby enabling the patient to find relief and eliminating side effects.

Commenting on the global pharmaceutical companies looking out for medicinal plants as a promising resource to develop new molecules, Dr Mitra stated that international majors have realized that medicinal plants are not innocuous substances but can be used as starting material for basic research in the development of new drugs. In the past, a number of life-saving drugs have been derived from plant chemicals. A good example would be vinblastine, a powerful anti-cancer substance which is derived from the periwinkle plant.

Unfortunately most allopathic companies use combinatorial chemistry to create molecules in a lab and do not explore the rich resources available in the plant world. Over the years, the focus of many pharmaceutical companies has moved from basic research to launching generic versions of drugs available on the market. By tweaking processes and launching copycat versions, companies are generating huge revenues but are neglecting research and innovation. However, the emphasis on primary research is slowly returning as companies realize the enormous potential and subsequently monetary benefits it would bring them. Therefore more and more global pharma companies are turning to plant research to identify new molecules in the development of new drugs, he said.