To Support Bio-pharma Innovations, Govt Supported National Facility Opens at Venture Center, Pune

The Center for Biopharma Analysis (CBA) supported by the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) of Department of Biotechnology (DBT)- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) at Pune-based technology business incubator, Venture Center was inaugurated virtually by Secretary, DBT, Dr Renu Swarup.

CBA will provide high-quality analytical services for biopharmaceutical developers and manufacturers. This center is envisioned to become a resource center for structural and functional characterization of biologicals and biopharmaceuticals that will create long lasting value for bioentrepreneurs and industry.

Inaugurating the facility via video conference, Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT, said that she expects that the CBA will play a pivotal role in supporting biopharma innovations from academic and government research labs, startups and many Indian companies with not only high-quality analytical characterization but also advise on studies needed for regulatory approvals. This can help speed up the development process.

Also speaking on the occasion, Prof AK Nangia, Director, CSIR-NCL highlighted how NCL is keen to contribute to the large molecule therapeutics revolution waiting to happen in India as it did for small molecule therapeutics in 1970-80s. Mr Prasanta Biswal, CEO of International Biotech Park Limited, Pune said that IBPL is happy to have contributed CSR support for the CBA infrastructure development and looks forward to working closely with Venture Center and BIRAC in positioning the Pune Knowledge Cluster for excellence in biopharma and medtech development and manufacturing.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry.

About Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) , it is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs

About National Biopharma Mission:

The Industry-Academia Collaborative Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India for accelerating discovery research to early development for Biopharmaceuticals approved by the Cabinet for a total cost US$ 250 million and 50% co-funded by the World Bank is being implemented at Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). This program is dedicated to deliver affordable products to the nation with an aim to improve the health standards of India’s population. Vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics and biotherapeutics are few of its most important domains, besides, strengthening the clinical trial capacity and building technology transfer capabilities in the country.

About Venture Center: Entrepreneurship Development Center (Venture Center) – a CSIR initiative – is a Section 25 company hosted by the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. Venture Center strives to nucleate and nurture technology and knowledge-based enterprises by leveraging the scientific and engineering competencies of the institutions in the Pune region in India. The Venture Center is a technology business incubator supported by the Department of Science & Technology’s National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (DST-NSTEDB). Venture Center focuses on technology enterprises offering products and services exploiting scientific expertise in the areas of materials, chemicals and biological sciences & engineering. For more information, visit: http://www.venturecenter.co.in/

About CBA: Center for BioPharma Analysis (CBA) is an initiative of Venture Center supported by the National BioPharma Mission, BIRAC (Government of India). The Venture Center is a technology business incubator hosted by CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. It is a state-of-art GLP compliant facility with high-end instrumentation and industry-linked personals provides globally acceptable analysis of biopharmaceuticals. It provides open access cutting-edge technologies for Biopharmaceutical Analysis and would emerge as resource center for Characterization of Biopharmaceuticals. The facility aims to cater all academics, small to medium size biosimilar developers through-out the India and the world. For more information, visit: https://www.venturecenter.co.in/biopharma/

Affordable Myoelectric Limb Startup Dee Dee Labs Raises Seed Funding from Venture Center

Pune-based Dee Dee Labs Pvt Ltd, which are making affordable myoelectric limbs for developing countries, has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Venture Center, an India's largest science business incubator run under the aegis of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL).

The startup will utilize the funds raised in strengthening its R&D effort for product development and pilot testing of the prototype which will help the startup to reach to a stage where it can show the alpha version of the product and apply for the subsequent funding opportunities.

Founded in 2016, by Subhojit Basu, Pratik Bhalerao and Vishal Patil, DeeDee Labs is design and development lab with a primary focus on the development of next generation of bionic prostheses for upper limb amputees. The startup aims at making affordable myoelectric limbs for developing countries which are non-invasive. "Myoelectric" is the term for electric properties of muscles. A myoelectric-controlled prosthesis is an externally powered artificial limb that one can control with the electrical signals generated naturally by human muscles.

The technology that the startup uses involves gathering Surface Electromyographic signals and using Data Science methods to learn gestures over time and actuate the limb. Currently we are looking for support to complete prototyping and enter market.

Based at Venture Center, Dee Dee Labs is currently working on a non-invasive multigrasp myoelectric prosthetic arm for transradial amputee population in India and the Indian subcontinent. Their bionic arm technology platform is designed to restore anatomical function, lost by amputation, by using intelligent hardware and algorithms that can respond in a human-like way.

“DeeDee Labs has the potential to serve an unmet need for affordable and empowering upper limb prosthetics. While doing so, the company is developing a platform that can be applied to many other applications in assistive technology products,” said Dr. Premnath, Director, Venture Center who is very optimistic of large market growth in these sectors in the coming years.

Venture Center is a technology business incubator specializing in technology enterprises offering products and services exploiting scientific expertise in the areas of materials, chemicals and biological sciences & engineering.

[Top Featured Image is for representative purpose only | Via - ThriveGlobal.com]

Source - BioSpectrum India