VLife Sciences Technologies (VLife), a Pune-based computer-aided drug and molecular discovery technologies provider, and Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons and developer of commercial supercomputing facility ‘eka’, based in Pune, have partnered to offer VLife’s GRIP docking technology on CRL’s high performance computing platform.

This new offering is expected to reduce the time required to conduct protein – ligand docking studies. Structure-based drug design approach has traditionally been affected by limitations due to either slow or inaccurate docking activity. Researchers rarely could access a solution that was fast while being accurate. With the combination of VLife’s innovative GRIP technology and the computational power of CRL’s supercomputer ‘eka’, researchers can improve productivity from their structure-based design efforts. With this joint offering, VLife and CRL have reinforced their commitment to address the scientific and technological challenges in the computational discovery domain on the basis of their core strengths.

Supreet Deshpande, director, VLife Sciences Technologies, said, “Our alliance with CRL to provide accurate yet rapid docking service powered by our GRIP docking technology demonstrates VLife’s commitment to innovators in the area of life sciences in general and pharmaceuticals in particular.”

“We are delighted to tie up with VLife to bring to scientists the combined power of a high performance computational cluster and a smart and accurate docking technology,” said Dr Vipin Chaudhary, CEO, CRL.


RMS Regrow accredited with ISO 13485:2003 certification
RMS Regrow, the cell therapy and cord blood banking service provider in India, has been accredited with ISO 13485:2003 certification. The company has received this certification for its therapies, Chondron and Ossron; and cord blood banking service, BabyCell.

ISO 13485:2003 specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to provide medical devices and related services that consistently meet customer requirements and regulatory requirements applicable to medical devices and related services. The primary objective of ISO 13485:2003 is to facilitate harmonized medical device regulatory requirements for quality management systems.

Talking about the ISO certification Dr Vinayak V Kedage, lab director, RMS Regrow, said, “We are delighted to receive this certification. RMS has been following stringent quality management procedures in its business operations. The ISO 13485:2003 will ensure that our medical devices and related services will now be in compliance with global standards. This certification will further build trust and confidence of RMS amongst its customers and associates.”


SIRO Clinpharm to set up operations in Asia Pacific region
After establishing its presence in the US, Western and Eastern Europe, Indian CRO, SIRO Clinpharm is planning to expand its full-scale operations in the Asian Pacific region.

“As far as clinical research is concerned, Asia Pacific is a huge market. Presently, we do not have any full-scale operations to conduct phase I-IV clinical trials. So, we are actively looking at setting up a base there,” said a company source to BioSpectrum.

Details of the investments both in terms of infrastructure, manpower and finances are yet to be disclosed. Dr Chetan Tamhankar, CEO, SIRO Clinpharm, earlier told BioSpectrum that their strategy team has chalked out plans for North America and South East Asia in order to achieve a turnover of Rs 500 crore in the coming months. He also confirmed that the CRO’s  investors will opt for an exit strategy through an IPO route by 2011. SIRO presently has three investors that includes Kotak Private Equity, 3i and the promoter, the Daftarys.

SIRO Clinpharm has already  made inroads into the APAC region through a number of strategic alliances. In April 2010, it announced its alliance with Virginia CRO (VCRO), a Taiwan-based CRO. VCRO has extensive network in the Asia Pacific regions including Japan, China, Singapore and Hong Kong. The pact with VCRO enables SIRO’s clients access to Taiwan’s clinical research market. The clinical trials market in Taiwan is an attractive destination for global pharma-biotech firms. In February 2010, SIRO also announced another partnership with a Korea-based CRO, DreamCIS.