Top Innovator
Bugworks and
Pandorum
The Real Cure
is in the Backyard
Both Bugworks
Research and Pandorum Technologies represent major leaps in biotech innovation
from India
Top Innovator
Bugworks and Pandorum
India hasn't been able to carve itself out as a destination for
biotech innovation. Now, though, despite the complexities, long durations and
dearth of money required for such research, several young companies are making
a global impact with their cutting-edge research.
Bugworks Research has developed a way to beat bacterial drug resistance,
which allows for the development of novel antibiotics to counter the threat of
superbugs, bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotic drugs.
Pandorum Technologies develops 3D-printed human tissues for
medical research and therapeutics. Both startups were judged winners in the ET
Startup Awards `Top Innovator' category .
Bugworks is presently in preclinical development stage and
expects to begin human trials in two years. Its current portfolio of assets
targets hospital-associated infections. The startup's lead chemical series
kills a broad spectrum of pathogens via a novel mechanism.
“Team Bugworks is deeply honoured and humbled to receive the
coveted Top Innovator award from the Economic Times. The last antibiotic
breakthrough happened in 1984; there has been a huge gap in innovation in this
space,“ said Bugworks chief executive Anand Anandkumar. “The novel class of
antibiotics that Bugworks is working on has the potential to cure a wide range
of hospital-and community acquired infections caused by deadly superbugs.“
Pandorum's work is also pathbreaking. After becoming the first
in the country to design and 3D-print human liver tissues for medical research,
the startup is working on bio-engineering human cornea that can potentially be
implanted. Its 3D-printed human tissues can be used in medical research for
drug metabolism and disease modelling. That makes it a useful tool in the
discovery of novel drugs with better efficacy and substantially reduced time
and money. Pandorum's big vision is to make personalised human organs such as
lungs, liver, kidney and pancreas on demand.
“This award has strengthened our resolve to develop and
disseminate high-end innovations for the benefit of the masses. The credit goes
to the whole team at Pandorum, our mentors and investors,“ said cofounder Arun
Chandru.
Both Bugworks and Pandorum are funded by the Government of
India's Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the
Biotechnology Ignition Grant. Bugworks is backed also by Baxter Ventures, 3one4
capital and Biocon chairperson Kiran MazumdarShaw, and Pandorum by Flipkart
founders Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal, and the government's Small Business
Innovation Research Initiative.
“Biotech is really difficult to scale up. I believe companies in
this space have a tough time,“ said Mazumdar-Shaw. On the winners, she said:
“One is looking at a very urgent global need, that is, next-generation
antimicrobials for superbugs. One is looking at 3D-printing (human tissues).
Both the winners are really good.“
Both startups were grateful also to the evolving biotech
ecosystem in the country . “We are not only indebted to our angel investors and
friends for believing in this `moonshot' of an opportunity , but also to the
amazing bio-ecosystem that we have in India,“ said Anandkumar.
Jul 24 2017 : The Economic Times (Mumbai)
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