Top scientists join Nicholas Piramal

Ravinder Maini	Prof. Bob Chaudhuri

Nicholas Piramal has announced that two leading scientists Ravinder Maini and Prof. Bob Chaudhuri have joined its scientific advisory board. This is part of its plans to have an increased R&D thrust.

In September this year, Indo-British scientist Ravinder Maini was conferred the prestigious Albert Lasker Award for clinical medical research. The award is for discovery of anti-cytokine therapy as an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Since 1984, Dr Maini and his colleague Dr Marc Feldman have pioneered new and better treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. These researchers found that a single cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha),

was the initiator of the whole disease process. Maini was earlier honored with a Knighthood from the Queen and the Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Science. Interesting enough, his father Amar Maini was knighted in 1957 for public services in East Africa.

Prof. Bob Chaudhuri, with wide research interests in molecular basis of cancer and neuro degenerative diseases, was until recently a senior research manager at Novartis, Basel, Switzerland. As a scientist, he specialized in molecular/cell biology, biochemistry, protein chemistry, enzymology, yeast/drosophila genetics and organic chemistry. He also has wide experience in areas of biotechnology related to the discovery and validation of new pharmaceutical entities using novel technologies. Educated as an organic chemist in IIT-Kanpur (PhD), MIT/Utah State University-USA (post-doc), Prof. Bob Chaudhuri is currently with the School of Pharmacy at De Montfort University as a Professor of Cancer Studies.

Murli Ramachandran

New MD at RPG Life

Murli Ramachandran has taken over as the new MD of RPG Lifesciences from Dr KK Sharma. Ramachandran was president—business improvement, strategy & IT—of the RPG Group. He has over 18 years of experience in the areas of manufacturing and consulting and has worked previously with KPMG, Accenture, and Johnson & Johnson. Ramachandran has a big challenge on hand at RPG Life Sciences as it has been passing through tough times. It has been a takeover target in the past.

Karnataka BT secretary quits

Vivek Kulkarni, who was the IT&BT secretary, for a long time retired from service, opting for a VRS. A 1981 batch IAS officer, Kulkarni is understood to have quit to pursue a career in the private sector.

… EV Ramana Reddy tipped for the coveted post

Former director of IT & biotechnology, EV Ramana Reddy, IAS, is tipped to take over as the new secretary. He is currently the commissioner for agriculture. Reddy has a vast experience in the IT and BT sectors. He played a very important role in organizing Bangalore Bio 2003.

AP IT&BT minister hurt

B Gopalakrishna Reddy

AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and BT & IT minister B Gopalakrishna Reddy escaped a bid on their lives by suspected naxalites who set off a series of powerful landmine blasts at the foothills of the Venkateswara temple on 1 October. Naidu had received injuries on the nose, chest and collarbone. Both Naidu and Gopalakrishna Reddy have been recovering fast. Reddy is a former chairman of the Sri Kalahasti Devasthanam and was minister of minor irrigation too. An advocate by profession, he was born in Urandur village of Srikalahasti mandal in Chittoor district on April 15, 1949. Reddy acquired BSc and BL degrees and started practicing law. He has been handling the IT and biotech portfolio for some years now.