Drug Discovery
Taj Pharmaceuticals is an innovative platform for drug discovery. The new drug discovery and development process is a systematic approach to identify potential new drug candidates and their evaluation for drug-like properties.
It is the mission of pharmaceutical research companies to take the path from understanding a disease to bringing a safe and effective new treatment to patients. Scientists work together on the basic causes of disease at the level of genes, proteins and cells. Out of this understanding emerge “targets,” potential new drugs might be able to affect.
The drug discovery and development process is inherently time and resource consuming with very innovative achievements.
Cancer was recognized primarily as a disease of uncontrolled cell division.
Researchers work to:
- validate these targets.
- discover the right molecule (potential drug) to interact with the target chosen.
- test the new compound in the lab and clinic for safety and efficacy,
- gain approval and get the new drug into the hands of doctors and patients.
Taj seeks to help people in researching diseases and developing new medicines and therapies. Our vision "Value through Innovation" is the driver of drug discovery in our worldwide research & development. In addition to the development of major oncology substances from individual research into the treatment of different cancers. We have successfully advanced our research in oncological, metabolic diseases.
Discovery and research
The first step in the drug discovery process is to identify a suitable target. This is a molecule or a protein receptor that is specifically associated with a disease condition or pathology. For this purpose, it is important to understand how the disease occurs at the molecular, cellular, and genetic levels. Once a target is identified, the next step involves understanding how the target plays a role in the disease process. This is followed by testing of the target against different recognized and new compounds to identify either one or several compounds which interact with the target and show the potential to either neutralize or slow the disease process.
Drug development
The drug development phase involves accurate testing and optimization of the selected compounds to identify the different compounds which might be the most effective. Testing required by the health authorities is done in cells (in vitro) and in animals (in vivo) to study metabolism (pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics), safety, toxicity, dosage, and efficacy.
The new drug development process normally involves the following stages:
Acquisition of potential compounds:
This could be achieved by compound
synthesis or by extraction from natural resources. This stage includes the development of analytical methods to confirm the identity, purity of the compound, stability and storage conditions.
Physicochemical properties of the compound are identified, as the solid-state form, melting point, solubility and stability. Synthesis of the molecule is scaled up as the compound progress in the development path. A formulation suitable for human administration and commercialization is identified and scaled-up.
Drug screening and preclinical pharmacology:
This involves ‘‘document chemistry” whereby the drug structure is compared to those of existing compound in the databases to identify potential activity, toxicities, degradation pathways, metabolic routes, etc. A preliminary screening in cell culture model is carried out to identify the level and specificity of its antitumor activity. This is followed by the evaluation of efficacy and toxicity in animal models.
Clinical development:
Clinical development of a drug candidate involves testing in human volunteers to identify the toxicities and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in phase I clinical trials. Subsequently, phase II studies are carried out in patients of selected tumor type to quantify efficacy and confirm dosage. Subsequently, larger phase III studies are aimed at head-to-head comparison of theNCE with the then-best-available therapy.
Taj Pharma Group
A dream for new world Anchored in India and committed to its traditional values of leadership with trust, the Taj Pharma Group is spreading its footprint globally through excellence and innovation.
Each operating company in the group develops its international business as an integral element in an overall strategy, depending on the competitive dynamics of the industry in which it operates. For some businesses a focus on the export market remains the priority. For others it is developing a robust presence in domestic markets given growing population of India. And then there are Group companies, a small but growing number, that have global ambitions; additionally, synchronizing these ventures to cater Indian market remains a priority for growth.
Exports from India remain the cornerstone of the Taj Pharma Group’s international business, but different Taj companies are increasingly investing in assets overseas through Greenfield projects (such as in Spain, Germany, Middle East, Africa, Russia, and CIS Countries), joint ventures (in Sri Lanka, UK) and acquisitions.
While individual Taj companies have differing geographical imperatives, the Taj group is focusing on a clutch of priority countries, which are expected to be of strategic importance in the years ahead. The regions are UK, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Brazil, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan.
Dr. R.K.Singh, Chairman, Taj Pharmaceuticals Limited., sums up the Taj group’s efforts to internationalize its operations thus: “We hope that a several years from now we will spread our wings far beyond India, that we become a global group, operating in many countries, an Indian business conglomerate that is at home in the world, carrying the same sense of trust that we do today." We have already progressed on such efforts by our current presence in more than 40 countries.
