One of the well known contract research and manufacturing services (CRAMS) pharmaceutical companies in India, Jubilant Organosys has signed up a joint venture agreement with US multinational drug major firm, Eli Lilly in order to offer development services in drugs to each other.

The joint venture, which will start operationalising before the end of this year, is on similar lines as Chorus, Eli Lilly’s early-stage development division. 

Chorus provides fast drug development services to Eli Lilly by roping in external contract research specialists for specific areas of drug development.

The Indian government has finally approved the acquisition of Pharmaceutical Major Ranbaxy Laboratories by Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo.

Advinus Therapeutics, a Tata group company, has signed a Drug Discovery Agreement with Johnson and Johnson subsidiary, Ortho-Mc-Neil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. 

The company which is only into its third year has other ambitious projects to its credit like an agreement with Merck for two programs in metabolic diseases. Advinus specializes in metabolic ,inflammation and neglected diseases. 

In what was seen as a major breakthrough for the Piramal Group of Companies, the Piramal Life Sciences, a part of the group got an approval from the Regulatory Authority to commence with its Phase I activity on a new cancer molecule P-1446A-05 in Canada.

The new cancer molecule is an orally active compound which is developed in order to treat advanced cancer. It is a CDK-4 inhibitor and has higher oral bioavailability. The drug provides an edge over others as it can be given orally to the patient thus reducing hospital costs.