Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
NEW DELHI, AUG 23: Shantha Biotech, a company trying to indigenously develop a low cost cancer drug, has filed a suit in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a damage of Rs 100 crore from various government departments for disruption of animal toxicology tests of its drug due to forcible release of test monkeys by animal activists.
The company has charged that animal activists ``acting at the instigation of Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Maneka Gandhi'' had released the monkeys retained for toxicology studies of the drug `alpha interferon' at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad.
The activists had early this month released the test monkeys saying they were kept in bad conditions and not looked after properly.
The company in a press release said it had already invested around Rs 25 crore in the development of alpha interferon and estimated that the delay in testing and release of the drug has resulted in enormous losses, of the order of Rs 100 crore to thecompany.
The release said alpha interferon is manufactured at present only by two global players and priced at Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,500 for a single dose though it was hoping to price it at around Rs 300 per single dose.
It said the company has requested the High Court to institute an inquiry into the reasons for the ``high-handed and malicious act of the so-called animal activists and the role of the circle police inspector, who helped the activists in seizing the animals from NIN without the order of any magistrate''.
Managing Director of the company Varaprasad Reddy stated in the release, ``It is rather curious that the so-called animal activists felt strongly only about the 34 monkeys retained for the interferon toxicology studies. None of the other 30,000 animals with NIN were touched during the rescue exercise.''
The petitioner accused different government quarters of indifference, callousness and negligence in protecting the interests of the scientific community and of the public.
It has alsorequested the High Court to direct the government to restore animal toxicology tests either at NIN or any other similar facility in or outside the country acceptable to the Ministry of Health.
Other respondents in the petition were Union government, NIN, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Drug Controller General of India, Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research and Director General of Health Services.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------