Medicinal chemistry is an interdisciplinary area to design molecules for use as therapeutic agents. The global pharmaceutical industry has been playing a prominent role in developing innovative process routes for the synthesis of drugs. With continuing escalation in drug prices by the multi-national drug corporations which they justify - as due to investment in R&D, coupled with slow development of indigenous capability in developing countries and restrictions under Intellectual Property Rights & TRIPS, the availability of affordable drugs in developing countries is becoming scarce and matter of concern.

By the year 2005, under the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement, the member countries have to adopt the product patent systems which will further reduce the availability of drugs based on process patents. Hence, innovative research for the development of new processes for off patented generic drugs and discovery of new chemical entities is essential. The challenges offered by the IPR/WTO regimes call for an evaluation of the drugs and pharmaceutical research. The Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-aligned & Other Developing Countries and The Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology are therefore jointly organising a workshop on the `Developments in Drugs & Pharmaceutical Technologies' in association with and at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad during November 6-10, 2001.

The Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre), is an intergovernmental organisation set up in August 1989 in New Delhi (India) in pursuance of recommendations of various NAM Summit meetings for promotion of Science & Technology among the developing countries. The Centre has a membership of 39 countries spread over Asia, Africa and Latin-America. The Governing Council of the Centre has identified several priority areas for Centre's activities. These include biotechnology, anti-malarials and evaluation and screening of medicinal plants. A number of programmes have been organised and publications brought out in these areas which have direct bearing on health care in developing countries.

The Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) also situated in New Delhi is a regional institution of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). It was established in 1977 with 15 member countries from Asia-Pacific region. APCTT implements national and regional development programme in Technologies for SMEs; Technology Management; Environmental Information and Management; Technology Transfer Services; and Women in Development.

Objective
The workshop proposes to bring academics, scientists from R&D institutions and experts from pharmaceutical industry together to discuss the recent developments and vital issues associated with the faster growth of drugs and pharmaceuticals industries in developing countries. The workshop hence is focussed to familiarize the participants with the latest trends in the development of new drug discovery and process technologies for Generic and Chiral Drugs in addition to their legal aspects.

About Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT)

Indian Institute of Chemical Technology is a premier Institute under the Indian Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) located in the science city of Hyderabad. The institute is a centre of excellence for research in the areas of both the agro and pharma chemicals.

IICT has developed process technologies for several drugs and drug intermediates, which are in commercial production. IICT is one of the very few research institutes, which took up and is active in the new drug development, with both the Indian and overseas companies.

Workshop Programme
The programme will consist of presentations/lectures by an eminent faculty and experts from reputed institutions and industry on the following aspects besides panel discussions, laboratory demonstrations and visits to drug production centres:

• Process Technologies:
• Environmental status of drug/pharma processes
• New eco friendly process options – challenges and prospects
• Process development and scale up – new challenges
• Drug product stability and shelf life assessment – recent developments
• Product Technologies:
• New drug discovery – intricacies and challenges
• Development of modern drugs from natural products and traditional medicines – new opportunities for developing countries
• Combinatorial chemistry and technology, molecular modeling – new tools & automation
• Drug delivery systems – recent trends
• Automation/software in drug discovery
• Quality management in Drugs/Pharma manufacture:
  
• Analytical chemistry of drugs/pharma processes
• Quality control aspects of manufacturing
• Analytical tools for process development
• Organizational aspects:
  
• Restructuring of pharma industry towards globalization
• Custom synthesis/contract research – new opportunity areas
• Partnering for drug discovery – new pathways
• Regulatory aspects:
  
• Good manufacturing practices –
basic concepts in process development
• Drug registrations – recent global trends
• FDA standards/regulations for investigative new drugs (INDs and NDAs)

Faculty
The faculty will be drawn from IICT and other institutions of repute including Central Drugs Research Institute of Indian (CDRI) of Indian Council of Scientific & Industrial Research & Industry.

Workshop participants
The participants are expected to be professionals/scientists associated with drugs and pharmaceuticals industry and R&D with good knowledge and interest in current developments associated with drug industry in their country.

Each participant will be required to present a Country Report on the current standing of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Industry in their country, which may be sent to the Centre in advance, for inclusion in the workshop documents. They are also welcome to indicate well in advance their special interest in the subjects to be covered in the workshop.

Participants are required to submit their Nomination Form in the enclosed nomination form to the NAM S&T Centre/APCTT as early as possible and latest by September 15, 2001.

Accommodation, Travel and Reception etc.
Single room air conditioned accommodation is being arranged at Guest Houses of IICT and Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) the close by sister laboratory of CSIR.

Participants will be received at the Hyderabad airport provided their flight schedules are intimated well in advance to the Centre and to the organizers in IICT, Hyderabad. Frequent daily flights are available for Hyderabad from all the international airports in India including Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai (Madras) and Mumbai (Bombay). Participants will have to change to domestic terminal to take the flight for Hyderabad. While national (domestic) and international terminal are adjacent at Calcutta and Chennai (Madras), they are about 3-4 km, apart in Delhi & Mumbai (Bombay) where shuttle coach service can be used. Efforts will however be made to meet the participants at Bombay/Delhi to help their transfer to domestic terminal.

• Temperature in Hyderabad in November ranges from 300C to 350C.
• Electricity is AC220V 50 Hz.
• One US $ is approximately Rs. 47.
• Indian standard time is 5½ hrs. ahead of GMT.

Support for the travel and accommodation etc. as applicable to each member country is being conveyed to them separately by NAM S&T Centre/APCTT.

Immigration & Health
Participants should have a valid visa for entry to India. They should intimate their passport particulars alongwith nomination form to the NAM S&T Centre/APCTT well in advance to facilitate issue of a visa by the nearest Indian Mission.

Participants from yellow fever endemic countries must ensure that they obtain a vaccination certificate before arrival in India.

Note:

• The participants' governments/institution will be required to bear the following costs:
  
  • Any tax/fee collected in cash at any point of embarkation on onward or return journey (The Centre will however pay tax/fee including air-port tax/fee if included as part of the ticket).
  • All expenses in the home country incidental to travel abroad, including expenditure for passports/visa fee, the required medical examinations, vaccinations and miscellaneous expenses such as internal travel to the international airport of departure in the home country.
  • Salary and other related allowances for the participants during the Workshop.
  • Cost of medical insurance to cover the period of their participation in the workshop.
• The NAM S&T CENTRE, APCTT & IICT will not assume responsibility for the following expenditure in connection with the participant's attendance at the workshop:
  
• Expenses incurred with respect to any insurance, medical bills or hospitalisation fees.
• Compensation in the event of death, disability or illness of participants.
• Loss of personal belongings or compensation for damage caused to them by climatic or other conditions.
• Travel or other costs incurred by dependents who might accompany participants

Brief Information of Ningbo
Ningbo is in the middle of China's coastline. As the second most important city of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo enjoys the same rights as those of a province in economic planning and administration and is entitled to formulate her local laws and regulations. Ningbo is famous for its natural beauty and rich historical and cultural heritages. The area of Ningbo is 9,365sq.km while the population is 5.33 million. Ningbo enjoys subtropical monsoon climate with the annual average temperature of 16.2°C.

Transportation
It is very convenient for foreigners to get to Ningbo. There are 3 flights everyday from Shanghai to Ningbo with the flying time of 30 minutes. Ningbo Airport is about 30-minute drive away from the center of the city.

All Correspondence to be addressed to:

NAM S&T CENTRE:

Centre for Science & Technology of the
Non-Aligned and other Developing Countries
Zone-6, 2nd Floor, India Habitat Centre, Lodi Road
NEW DELHI – 110003 (INDIA)
Tel: (O) +91-11-4645134, 4644974
Fax: (O) +91-11-4644973
E-mail: namstct@vsnl.com
Website: http://www.namstct.org
Mr. K.N .Johry, Director
Tel: (R) +91-11-6856259
Mr. K.C. Khanna, Public Relation Officer
Tel: (R) +91-11-5130340

APCTT

Dr. Jurgen H. Bischoff, Director
The Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology
Qutab Institutional Area
Off New Mehrauli Road
New Delhi – 110016 (INDIA)
Tel: 91-11-6856276
Fax: 91-11-6856274
E-mail: postmaster@apctt.org
Internet: http://www.apctt.org

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY (IICT)
Workshop Director Dr. K.V. Raghavan
Director
Indian Institute of Chemical Technology,
Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007 (India)
Tel: +91-40-7173289/3403 (O) 7172561(R)
Fax: +91-40-7173387/7173757
E-mail: kvr@csiict.ren.nic.in& Raghavan@iict.ap.nic.in
Website: http://www.iictindia.org
Workshop Co-ordinator
Dr. G.V. M. Sharma
Organic Chemistry Division III,
Indian Institute of Chemical Technology
D-211, Discovery Laboratory
Hyderabad 500 007 (India)
Tel: +91-40-7173874-77 Ext.2653(O), 7601391(R)
Fax: +91-40-7173387/7173757
E-mail: esmvee@iict.ap.nic.in