CSIR-CDRI transfers tech to Marc Labs, aims to develop safer drug for heart attack

New Delhi: As an example of growing public private partnerships, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI), Lucknow has tied up with UP-based Marc Laboratories, a young progressive enterprise with operating base in 13 other states.

The leading institute has earlier signed an agreement for the development of a synthetic compound S-007-867 as modulator of blood coagulation cascade, in particular as inhibitor of collagen induced platelet aggregation. This may be helpful in treating patient population of coronary and cerebral artery diseases.

The institute has recently obtained the permission to initiate the Phase I clinical trials for the drug.

Arterial thrombosis is an acute complication that develops on the chronic lesions of atherosclerosis leading to heart attack and stroke. Therefore, inhibition of platelet collagen interaction is anticipated to be a promising therapeutic strategy to treat intravascular thrombosis.

The compound S-007-867 significantly inhibits collagen mediated platelet activation and subsequently reduces the release of ATP from dense granules and thromboxane A2 via COX1 activation. Thus it effectively maintains blood flow velocity and delays vascular occlusion (blockage of the blood vessel, usually with a clot) and inhibits thrombogenesis (formation of blood clot) without compromising hemostasis. This drug has less bleeding risk as compare to presently existing therapies for coronary and cerebral artery diseases. In animal experiments, the compound elicited better antithrombotic protection than the standard of care with minimal bleeding tendency. The institute has recently obtained the permission to initiate the Phase I clinical trials for the drug.

On this occasion, Prof. Tapas K. Kundu, Director (CDRI) said “This is a great moment for CSIR-CDRI, the premiere drug development research institute of the country as it has transferred the technology for the synthesis of compound successfully to Marc Laboratories Ltd. This will allow Marc Laboratories to scale up the methodology for production of compound under cGMP conditions. This would help to initiate the Phase I clinical trials with the drug to check its safety and efficacy in human subjects.

He added that he is optimistic that this compound would reach market in quick time for the benefit of humanity.

He further mentioned that this Industry-Academia partnership will be very beneficial for development of Pharma cluster in Uttar Pradesh and will open up new avenues for Made in India & Indigenous affordable drug for the Nation.

Likewise, Mr. Prem Kishore, Chairman Marc Laboratories said, “Marc’s association with CSIR-CDRI will be beneficial to both parties and they will be working hard to take the novel compound forward and complete all regulatory requirement sso that it reaches to the market at the earliest”.

The technology for the preparation of the compound S007-867 was demonstrated by Dr. Sanjay Batra and Dr. Anil K. S. to the team of Marc Laboratories headed by the plant manager Mr. Avinash Srivastava.