India's SRM University to form diabetes drug firm

Bangalore SRM University, which is located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, will establish a pharmaceutical company named SRM Pharma to commercialize a new diabetes drug that has been developed by the university's research faculty.

The university has already received a US patent for the drug, which can be used for the treatment and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The team of researchers include Mr Govind Prasad Dubey, Ms Aruna Agrawal, Ms Nirupama Dubey, Ms Shipra Dubey, and Ms Samamtsan Mercy Deborah.

The vice chancellor of the university Mr M Ponnavaikko informed that the University would launch the drug in about six months and that it will be manufactured from in a unit in North India.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that is primarily characterised by insulin resistance, relative insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. It is rapidly increasing in the developed countries and there is also evidence that this pattern will be followed in much of the rest-of-the world in the coming years.