Why in the News?

• The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, hosted an Industry Dialogue in Mumbai to promote research and innovation under the Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) Scheme.

Key Points:

Key Discussions & Participation:

=> The event provided a platform for industry leaders, associations, and research institutes from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), and National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs).

=> Discussions focused on strengthening industry-academia linkages, fostering collaboration, and leveraging government initiatives to accelerate R&D and commercialization of innovative solutions in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.

Government Initiatives:

=> PRIP Scheme: Detailed insights on its role in supporting research and innovation.

=> ICMR Initiatives:

• PATENT MITRA – Support for patent filing.
• MEDTECH MITRA – Assistance in the innovation journey and clinical trials.
• INTENT – Facilitation of research and development efforts.

Government’s Vision for Pharma-MedTech:

=> Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals emphasized:

• The importance of futuristic products and affordable healthcare solutions.
• The transformative role of data-driven markets in shaping Pharma-MedTech R&D.
• India’s unique advantage in precision and personalized medicine due to its diverse gene pool and large population.
• The PRIP Scheme’s role in supporting cost-effective and innovative healthcare solutions for global impact.

Indian Council of Medical Research:

• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
• Its mandate is to conduct, coordinate and implement medical research for the benefit of the Society; translating medical innovations into products/processes and introducing them into the public health system.
• It is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

CSIR covers a wide spectrum of streams – from radio and space physics, oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology and nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering and information technology. It provides significant technological intervention in many areas with regard to societal efforts which include the environment, health, drinking water, food, housing, energy, and farm and non-farm sectors.