• 7/7/2006
  • India
  • staff
  • ExpressPharmaOnline.com

A new cancer drug is on the way from Biocon. An announcement on these lines was made at the inauguration of Biocon Park, India’s largest integrated biotech hub. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the President of India inaugurated the park which comprises of an integrated cluster of research laboratories and manufacturing facilities laid out on a 90 acre expanse in Karnataka. Built with a total investment of Rs 650 crore, with further investments to follow, Biocon Park is the single largest capital investment made by Biocon in its 27-year history. Biocon Park is focused on exports of both biopharmaceutical products and research services.

The multi-product facilities will mainly cater to disease segments like cardiovascular, cholesterol reduction, immunosuppressant in organ transplantation, diabetes and cancer. On the occasion, the President dedicated India’s first indigenously developed monoclonal antibody, BIOMab EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) to the nation. This antibody is indicated for cancer and it works by binding only to cancer cell-specific antigens, and induce an immunological response against the targeted cancer cell. Although a large number of monoclonal antibodies have been introduced in the country, they are beyond the reach of a majority of cancer patients because of their prohibitive cost. Biocon joins the league of monoclonal antibody developers worldwide and aims to be a key player in this segment in the coming years. Biocon’s new cancer drug will also be effective in several other cancers that express EGFR, including colorectal, pancreatic, metastatic breast, non-small cell lung and brain cancers. BIOMAb EGFR is indicated for use in combination with radiation therapy or chemotherapy in patients with positive expression of EGFR in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck cancer. In clinical trials, BIOMAb EGFR showed extensive proliferation inhibition activity in NSCLC, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and glioblastoma (brain tumours) as well.