Pharma varsity planned in Hyderabad

Credited with being the pharma hub of the country, Andhra Pradesh is all set to have the first-ever exclusive university for pharmaceutical sciences, if all goes well.

The state government has responded positively to the request of the pharma industry, which has sought its help in establishing such a university. The industry is of the opinion that the present centres of higher learning and research are not sensitive to the requirements of the pharma sector.

Chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy extended his government's support to the initiative by offering 100 acres of land near Hyderabad and also agreed to share half of the expenditure for establishing the university for the first five-year period.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day 57th Indian Pharmaceutical congress here on Friday, the chief minister suggested that the representatives of the industry come up with a detailed proposal in this regard. "I will ensure that the state Cabinet clears the project at the earliest," he assured.

While inviting the investors to set up pharma units in the state, especially at the Jawaharlal Nehru Pharmacity in Visakhapatnam, Reddy, however, expressed concern over the recent migration of some pharma units to Uttaranchal and other hill states in the North.

"I have written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh  requesting him to consider either discontinuing the extraordinary fiscal incentives being offered to the three states of Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir or offer the same to one most backward district in each of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Andhra Pradesh contributes to over 40 per cent of the total pharmaceutical business of the country and 27 of the 80 USFDA approved facilities in India are located in the state.

Apart from a scientific programme with symposia and seminars on various issues of drug research and drug delivery strategies, an exhibition with a host of equipment and machinery used in drugs and pharmaceutical industry is being organised at the venue of the congress.