Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) India Friday launched new cardiac drug Streptokinase, developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the top scientific body of the country.
Streptokinase is an “effective and inexpensive clot dissolving drug used in the treatment of myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism”. It is a clot buster medicine, available in injectable format, which scientists believe will prove a boon for tens of thousands of people in India.

“This is a great beginning. CSIR developed the drug and transferred technology to Shasun, a multinational pharmaceutical company based out of Chennai, to make it market- worthy,” Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan said after launching the medicine.

“I believe that this will prove a boon to many Indians,” he added.

The technology for this life-saving drug was developed at the Chandigarh-based Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTech), a constituent lab of CSIR.

Lauding the efforts of the scientists, Chavan said that laboratories and markets must work in an environment of mutual respect to benefit the society. The minister also expressed hope that CSIR will rededicate itself to making a difference to the life of the common man.

Said Girish Sahni, director of IMTech: “As a scientist working in a government lab, my job is to think of public benefit and this result is quite good to start with.”

After the technology transfer to Shasun, it took seven years to make the lab product and market product.

One vial of the medicine will cost Rs.2,400 in the open market but Shasun officials said they would supply it to hospitals at a 50 percent rebate.