Glaxo said it had signed a collaboration with the University of Oxford’s clinical pharmacology department to establish the first Indian cancer-trials network.
LONDON: GlaxoSmithKline Plc plans to make India a major centre for testing experimental cancer drugs, in a move highlighting the appeal of the country as a low-cost base for research.
Europe’s biggest drug maker said on Thursday it had signed a collaboration with the University of Oxford’s clinical pharmacology department to establish the first Indian cancer-trials network. Glaxo, which has big ambitions in cancer, will outline its goals for tackling the disease at a research seminar for investors on November 30.
Its most important experimental cancer drug is lapatinib, a dual-action treatment which is being developed initially for breast cancer. It also has a promising vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, called Cervarix.
Glaxo said the new collaboration would enable the evaluation of new treatments in a range of cancer types, including gall bladder, liver and cervical cancers, which are more prevalent in India than in Europe or North America. The new network — which has initial 3-year funding from Glaxo — will include publicly funded cancer centres in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kerala and Ahmedabad.
Western drug companies are shifting more clinical trials to emerging markets in a bid to save money, speed up research and educate a new generation of local doctors about their products. Glaxo said in October 2004 that it aimed to move 30% of its clinical trials to low-cost countries within two years. Other favourite locations include China and Poland. While conducting trials in these countries is significantly cheaper, cost is not the only factor.
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