Pfizer opens $20-million global drug development centre at IIT-Madras

Source: Reuters

Pharma giant Pfizer on May 4 inaugurated a global drug development centre at IIT-Madras Research Park in Chennai that will bring research and development (R&D) capabilities of the company under one roof.

The New York-based drug-maker said it invested $20 million for the centre, which will be part of a network of 12 such facilities across the world.

This centre is the first and only one being set up in Asia, for now. It will develop and support products in global markets and Pfizer’s manufacturing centres worldwide, S Sridhar, Country Manager, Pfizer India, told reporters.

The centre will see the development of both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished dosage forms (FDFs) of differentiated products such as complex/value-added formulations, controlled-release dosage forms, device-combination products, lyophilized injections, powder-fill products, and ready-to-use formulations.

“Pfizer’s drug development centre in the IIT Madras Research Park is a positive opportunity to establish truly one of the most advanced laboratories that Pfizer is setting up for R&D in the aforementioned disciplines anywhere in the world, in Chennai and an opportunity to showcase the potential of R&D in the country,” he said.

Sridhar said that the company was confident about the global research centre would see synergistic co-development of cutting-edge APIs and finished dosage form processes under the same roof in the future.

“The world-class scientific, technology and innovation-driven Research Park campus provides an ideal setting for our work. We are hopeful that the proximity to IIT-Madras and other technology Research Park start-ups will also improve academia and industry partnerships and encourage greater collaboration to drive innovation,” he said.

The centre integrates two essential functions under the export-oriented undertaking of Pfizer Inc—Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharmSci) and Global Technology and Engineering (GT&E) Center of Excellence.

PharmSci is dedicated to the development of anti-infectives, oncolytics, sterile injectables, anesthesia products, CNS products, and uniquely differentiated hospital products. GT&E pioneers next-generation API process and manufacturing technology to supply medicines to patients around the globe.

The company didn’t respond on the queries on the status of its antiviral drug Paxlovid and COVID-19 vaccine in India.