Even as the pharma industry awaits the government's notification on the norms to regulate the use of animals for clinical trials, the Singapore government has agreed to allow Indian pharma firms to conduct animal tests and toxic study needed in pre-clinical tests.
Speaking at the two-day conference and exposition "Building Innovative Pharma in India" organised by Confederation of Indian Industry, D S Brar, director, Davix Management Services, said that Indian pharma firms can now look forward to conduct these tests at much lower costs vis-à-vis the costs incurred in Europe and the US.
He, however, pointed out that Indian laws must allow more liberal laws for the import of large animals for conducting such tests as India still has a huge cost advantage in this field.
"If it costs $700,000 to conduct pre-clinical animal tests in Europe, the cost in Singapore would be in the region of $250,000. The comparable cost in India would be $100,000."
A year-and-a-half back, some members of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance had approached the Singapore government seeking permission to conduct these tests in the island nation.
"Since the animal activists groups were equally active in Singapore, the government there was unable to provide the permission. But now they have laid out the laws with unambiguous checks and controls to allow these tests to be conducted there. The entire infrastructure is also ready there."
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