Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, S. Jaipal Reddy emphasised the need for India to develop its own research in diabetes.
Mr. Reddy inaugurated the Centre for Disease Biology, set up to research in diabetes, at Dr Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS), University of Hyderabad here on Saturday, and said, “Diabetes research in India should focus on matrimonial alliances and climatic conditions here which could also be the reasons for the ailment .”
The Minister lauded the contribution of late Dr. K. Anji Reddy, founder-chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited. “As part of the government’s policy, there is no limitation for funding research institutes and the new institute will receive all the deserving support. Miracles in diabetes can be created at DRILS,” Mr. Reddy said.
Dr. Reddy’s vice-chairman and managing director K. Satish Reddy said that the institute was set up in public-private partnership with the government of Andhra Pradesh, DRL and University of Hyderabad. DRL will continue to support the institute, according to him.
The potential of the institute is already seen in terms of raising funds through research projects, said Javed Iqbal, Executive Director, DRILS. “Despite no corpus fund since its inception in 2007, the institute could mobilise over Rs. 60 crore,” he said.
With over 66 million people suffering from diabetes, India was the most affected country in the world followed by 23.8 million patients in China, said Dr. Uday Saxena, Chief Advisor of Kareus Therapeutics and professor at DRILS.
The centre aims at working on epidemiological research to focus on the genetic, lifestyle and nutritional pre-dispositions of Indian populations, disease patho-biology of diabetes and Translational research involving hospitals, clinicians, scientists and industry to evolve therapies and solutions to control diabetes.
