Pfizer inaugurates global drug development centre in IIT Madras

Pfizer has established a global drug development unit in the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, as part of a major attempt to bring vital research and development capabilities under one roof.


According to ANI, Pfizer has opened a global drug development centre on the IIT Madras Research Park site. This is the first of its sort in Asia, according to Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan. "Through this, students, scientists, and prominent industry start-ups will create excellent industry-academy collaboration," he stated. Pfizer has opened a global drug development centre on the site of IIT Madras Research Park. This is Asia's first of its sort. Students, scientists, and prominent industrial start-ups will benefit from this, which will create tremendous collaboration between industry and academia: TN Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan (05.05)

The abilities of the centre will include the advancement of both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished dosage forms (FDFs) for specific products like complex/value-added formulations, controlled-release dosage forms, device-combination product lines, lyophilized injections, powder-fill products, and ready-to-use formulas. It will develop and support products for global markets, as well as Pfizer's manufacturing facilities around the world.The abilities of the centre will include the advancement of both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished dosage forms (FDFs) for specific products like complex/value-added formulations, controlled-release dosage forms, device-combination product lines, lyophilized injections, powder-fill products, and ready-to-use formulas. It will develop and support products for global markets, as well as Pfizer's manufacturing facilities around the world.



"Pfizer's drug development centre in the IIT Madras Research Park represents a positive opportunity for Pfizer to establish truly one of the most advanced laboratories for R&D in the aforementioned disciplines anywhere in Chennai and the world," said S Sridhar, Country Manager, Pfizer India.

"We are convinced that it will enable the co-development of cutting-edge API and FDF processes in a synergistic manner. The world-class Research Park campus, which is focused on science, technology, and innovation, is a great location for our work. We hope that being close to IIT Madras and other technological Research Park start-ups will promote academic-industry partnerships and inspire more collaboration to drive innovation "He continued. Pfizer has invested USD 20 million (INR 150 crore) in the IIT Madras Research Park's 61,000-square-foot research and technology centre. While this centre will be part of a global network of 12 global centres, it will be Pfizer's first and only one in Asia at this time.

S Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India, stated at the launch that pharma businesses must give innovative solutions to solve the new problems that healthcare professionals and people face. "Pfizer's new centre in Chennai is a move in the right direction. Such attempts to develop and expand worldwide work through this centre will enable knowledge sharing, which we hope will improve patient outcomes in the future. It will also allow Pfizer to take use of India's enormous talent pool as well as the IIT Madras Research Park's best-in-class facilities "Aparna explained.



"We are confident that this research centre will be associated with our larger national goal of improving the availability, affordability, and access to drugs throughout the world from India by leveraging educational collaborations and leveraging the integration with digital solutions available here," she added. Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharmSci) and the Global Technology and Engineering (GT&E) Center of Excellence are two critical responsibilities within Pfizer's export-oriented initiative. Anti-infectives, oncolytics, sterile injectables, anaesthetic goods, CNS medications, and distinctively specialised hospital products are all priorities for PharmSci. To provide medicines to patients all around the world, GT&E pioneers next-generation API method and manufacturing technologies.



"IIT Madras Research Park is thrilled to welcome the Pfizer global drug development centre. Pfizer's proximity to IITM, scientists and students, the Tech corridor, and other prominent industrial start-ups, we believe, will encourage further collaboration between industry and academia. We are also confident that having access to Pfizer's centre will help IITM academicians "IITM Research Park President Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala remarked. This 61,000-square-foot facility employs 250 scientists and professionals from various scientific disciplines, including Formulation Scientists and Pharmacists, Analytical Scientists with expertise in process, analytical, and formulation medicinal sciences, Life Science experts such as Microbiologists and Biotechnologists, Chemical Engineers, Data Scientists, and Program Managers.


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