India is a leader in global generic pharmaceuticals manufacturing. However, many generics manufactured in India are at the end of their respective product life cycle, with limited new research and development taking place on new drugs.

Furthermore, our country has a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases and is vulnerable to epidemics. In order to keep pace with global innovation and to improve health outcomes, there is a need to foster R&D for new and cost-effective therapies.

With the aim to take India at global map in terms of R&D innovations in the area of drug development in our country, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has initiated a new program on “Drug Development” with a vision to develop indigenous and costeffective new drugs against the following diseases:

I. Communicable Diseases

• Tuberculosis

II. Non-Communicable Diseases

• Cardio-Vascular Diseases (CVD),

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and

• Cancer (oral, head and neck, cervical and breast cancer)

DBT in collaboration with its Public Sector Undertaking, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) invites proposals in the area of “Development of Drugs from existing leads with established proof of concept”.

This Call is intended for research and development activities focused ONLY on Lead optimization and preclinical development and Clinical therapeutic validation to a point where there is sufficient scientific evidence to justify filing for regulatory approval.

The goal of this Call is to support milestone-driven proposals focused on lead optimization and preclinical testing of candidate therapeutics for the given four diseases