Lucknow, January 14: THE Biotech Park here is set to attain higher levels of research and development in the field of medical biotechnology, after it inked a deal with the Gurgaon-based biotechnology company Lifecare Innovations Private Limited (LIPL) on Sunday.

According to information, the new facilities at the Biotech Park after this agreement will include research and development, product and process development, scale-up, pilot plant and production centre for commercialisation of biotech products for healthcare, including therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines.

LIPL is a medical biotechnology company engaged in research, development, manufacturing and marketing of healthcare products.

The company’s managing director, Dr J N Verma, said LIPL would start full-fledged operations within two years, though “we will be in a position to start initial activities after three months”.

Prior to the agreement the Biotech Park, promoted jointly by the state government and the Centre, ran a host of projects and operations. Explaining the operations side, Biotech Park’s chief executive officer Prof P K Seth said: “We have extraction, vermicomposting, distillation and bio-fertiliser units within our premises. Besides, we also operate tissue culture and hardening facility, and a glasshouse to protect and maintain plants of temperate climate.

“With this new unit we will have world-class medical biotechnology manufacturing facilities in the state.”

Seth said about a dozen companies have leased out land and sent letters showing their interest in using facilities offered at the Biotech Park.

LIPL’s Verma said the company specialises in controlled released pharmaceuticals by employing an array of drug-delivery system technologies. “We are the world leader in liposome technology, and have also applied for about a dozen patents for medicines developed by LIPL. The initial success of four anti-fungal products (developed at LIPL laboratory) encouraged us to work towards developing treatment of kala azar. At present four novel formulations of Amphotericin-B are under development (at LIPL) to meet these requirements.

“Our proposed laboratory at the Biotech Park here will facilitate the process development (of these medicines) for commercial production.”

About the sky-high cost of treatment at present — Rs 5,900 per day — Verma said LIPL is evaluating ways to bring down the cost so that the economically deprived section can avail it eventually.

According to Verma, LIPL now plans to diversify into diagnostics and vaccines for human, veterinary and poultry healthcare.