Remember the award-winning film, Ek Doctor Ki Maut ? The film, shot in 1990, was a statement on the neglect of crucial biomedical innovations and the challenges innovators faced in bringing their ideas to fruition. Research languished in laboratories, crying for opportunities to be translated into cures; ideas remained dreams that died with the brains that conceived it.
Let’s move to 2014, where the picture is much brighter. Innovation is now an endowment wedded to economic ideology which is demanded from every institution. The Indian biomedical community has proudly showcased India’s achievement in developing the world’s lowest cost rotavirus vaccine, made possible through international collaboration between the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the National Institute of Health and non-governmental organisations. Sharing of costs, efficient manufacturing processes and innovative product development efforts resulted in this vaccine.
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Riding on the declaration of 2010 to 2020 being the decade of innovation along with the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013, biomedical innovations seem to have got a new lease of life. The era also saw a radical change in the way the world looked at the innovator — as an ingenious and creative experimenter, an entrepreneur, a leader and an agent of change. This dynamic image also helped youngsters dare to think of new ideas which they aimed to translate into reality.
The Departments of Biotechnology (DBT) and Science and Technology support early stage, pre-proof-of-concept research by industry, late-stage development, and commercialisation of new indigenous technologies particularly those linked to societal needs in health care. Buoyed by the current thrust on enabling conversion of R&D outputs to societal and commercial applications, young brains from new institutions are focussing on translational research; many of the old traditional ones are also coming up with ideas to solve biomedical problems. The DBT alone has nurtured 240 start-ups and innovators and 89 incubatees, most of whom have worked in the field of medical technologies. Young researchers from the Stanford-India Biodesign Programme were concerned about the high rate of infant deaths due to the lack of a convenient resuscitation device. They developed a foot-operated system that frees one hand of the operator thereby allowing two-handed mask holding — leading to effective sealing and better ventilation. The device is now saving the lives of numerous newborn babies.
One of the major hurdles in cancer detection and treatment is a safe method of obtaining tissue samples for biopsy. The Stanford-India Biodesign Programme again developed a ‘Soft Tissue Biopsy’ device which provides a safer, easier and cost-effective way to perform percutaneous aspiration needle biopsy without much skill and obtain consistent tissue samples for definitive diagnosis. A breathable, washable and lightweight customised cast for immobilisation of limb fractures developed at IIT Kanpur can be a convenient replacement for casts in use currently.
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The Grand Challenges awards, launched by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, has provided huge scope for young brains to explore their dreams.
India is steering an international fight against epidemics as a crucial member of the newly formed Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global alliance aiming at developing new vaccines. IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur have come together to develop the first bio-printed cartilage which can be potentially grafted onto affected joint sites to heal the cartilage lesions. The International Centre For Genetic Engineering And Biotechnology (ICGEB) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries are joining hands for the clinical development of a novel botanical drug, Cissampelos pareira (Cipa) for the treatment of dengue.
Last but not the least, communication has played a major role in driving the journey of biomedical innovations.
Archita Bhatta is Chief Editor, Department of Biotechnology Communication Cell, Vigyan Prasar