85% of the World's HIV/AIDS Antiretroviral Drugs Made in India

[syedali73]

Amazing Article,
The challenge for researcher is to make an effective research within limited budget.Recently,Pakistan is encountering various challenges which includes viral and bacterial diesease.Since,you are a virologist and very experienced one,therefore I hope that you are aware that how these medicines work.Bacterial receptors for example are targeted.However,those who survived managed to create mutations by changing their receptor sites.
In case of viruses,correct me if I am wrong,viruses mostly survive from drugs by changing their genetic code ie CCG to GCC to prevent molecular drugs from making bonds and destroying it.
Hence,for a reseracher it is greatest challenge to look for suitable compounds which may destroy them.Remember,drugs can be called effective,but they never destory 100% as we let human's immune system to kill the rest.These are the general cases we are discussing.
That is why sometimes,slight change in chemical formula makes drugs very effective as well for specific mutated,survived bacteria.Therefore,we can see in market that some drugs retracted back are again found with ''improved formula'' labelled in them.
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Coming to the issue,I believe that there is nothing wrong if Indian drugs are paving way in Pakistani market to encounter various dieseases.However,it would be much better if ministry makes investments at Pakistani reserachers and makes sure that they are getting enough funds to built up medicines.
Regards

Let me share with you how it works. My team is engineering therapeutic antibodies against certain proteins of HIV. We obtain the sequences of antibody genes and clone them into plasmid vectors. Next we express these vector -borne antibody genes in suitable hosts such as bacteria or mammalian cells and test the ability of expressed and purified recombinant antibodies against viral proteins in in vitro assays. If we find that antibody molecules are working, we try to improve their binding activity through a process called 'direct evolution'. Once we are satisfied with the binding activity (at-least in low nano molar range) of the engineered molecules, we test them in functional assays that involve virulent viruses. Using similar assays, we also study the effect of 'drug pressure' on virus mutation.

Like you have correctly pointed out, almost all bacteria and more so viruses mutate to evade drugs. Sometimes it is a silent mutation (mutation in the codon but resulting amino acid remains same) and sometimes not silent i.e. amino acid change. We expose the virus to drugs for several generations and sequence the target DNA (usually that encodes the protein against which drug was tested) obtained from each generation. This gives us an idea of which sequences are highly conserved (mutation in such sequences will prove lethal hence avoided by the virus) and which are not. We try to target highly conserved regions so either the drug itself will take care of the virus or if virus attempts to mutate the specific region, the mutation will result in a defective protein and resulting viruses will be non-infectious.

Even though I have given you example from my work i.e. therapeutic antibodies, but approach is similar for small molecule inhibitors (traditional chemical -based drugs) and peptides.

 

[indianBong]

So I take it you hold same stance on Chinese patent infringement or Industrial espionage?

na he won't have same stance.... coz those tech then will be recieved by his country..... HIPPOCRITS!!!!

 

[Skull and Bones]

Buy Land. They are not making it anymore. - Mark Twain

No, I'm not getting into any real estate liabilities any more.

 

[Skywalker]

New HIV infections down by 20% in India: UN

New HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%, while the global response to HIV has averted 30 million new infections​

India has been able to achieve a more than 20% decline in new HIV infections between 2000 and 2014, reversing the spread of the virus, according to a UN report that says the world is on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

According to the report titled "How AIDS changed everything - MDG 6: 15 years, 15 lesson of hope from the AIDS response", the world has exceeded the targets contained in the Millennium Development Goals (MGD) to halt and reverse the spread of HIV.

New HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%, while the global response to HIV has averted 30 million new infections and nearly 8 million AIDS-related deaths since 2000, when the MDGs were set said the report that was released in Addis Ababa yesterday by the JointUnited Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

"The measure of success for the United Nations is not what we promise, but what we deliver for those who need us most. When it comes to halting and beginning to reverse the AIDS epidemic, the world has delivered," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said following the report's launch.

Ban said 15 million people on HIV treatment meant that the world was on its way to an AIDS-free generation.

It also means that nearly 75% of all pregnant women living with HIV have access to antiretroviral medicines that improve the quality of their lives and protect their children from HIV, he said.

The report noted that India "literally" changed the course of its national HIV epidemic through the use of strategic information that guided its focus to the locations and population approach.

"This placed communities at the centre of the response through the engagement of non-state actors and centrally managed policy and donor coordination," it said.

HIV treatment coverage for people living with HIV and TB has also increased and in terms of numbers of patients, the largest increases in antiretroviral therapy among people living with both HIV and TB have occurred in India, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

India accounts for more than 60% of the Asia Pacific region's people living with HIV-associated TB.

The report noted that currently nearly 85% of the antiretroviral medicines for HIV treatment come from India.

It said the Indian government had also succeeded in preserving the legislative and policy spaces that permit Indian companies that make generic medicines to consolidate their exporting capacities to other developing countries.

Currently, however, India is under pressure from several companies and governments of developed countries to dilute these provisions in free-trade agreements being negotiated with them, it said.

Source:- New HIV infections down by 20% in India: UN | Business Standard News

Obviously you need more than any one else, so is it part of made in India campaign too.

 

[Slav Defence]

Let me share with you how it works. My team is engineering therapeutic antibodies against certain proteins of HIV. We obtain the sequences of antibody genes and clone them into plasmid vectors. Next we express these vector -borne antibody genes in suitable hosts such as bacteria or mammalian cells and test the ability of expressed and purified recombinant antibodies against viral proteins in in vitro assays. If we find that antibody molecules are working, we try to improve their binding activity through a process called 'direct evolution'. Once we are satisfied with the binding activity (at-least in low nano molar range) of the engineered molecules, we test them in functional assays that involve virulent viruses. Using similar assays, we also study the effect of 'drug pressure' on virus mutation.

Like you have correctly pointed out, almost all bacteria and more so viruses mutate to evade drugs. Sometimes it is a silent mutation (mutation in the codon but resulting amino acid remains same) and sometimes not silent i.e. amino acid change. We expose the virus to drugs for several generations and sequence the target DNA (usually that encodes the protein against which drug was tested) obtained from each generation. This gives us an idea of which sequences are highly conserved (mutation in such sequences will prove lethal hence avoided by the virus) and which are not. We try to target highly conserved regions so either the drug itself will take care of the virus or if virus attempts to mutate the specific region, the mutation will result in a defective protein and resulting viruses will be non-infectious.

Even though I have given you example from my work i.e. therapeutic antibodies, but approach is similar for small molecule inhibitors (traditional chemical -based drugs) and peptides.

@Syed.Ali.Haider as research scientist over medical sciences,what are reviews about drug effect over human body? what do you suggest to your fellow molecular biologists?
I am keen to hear your excellent input.

Regards

 

[VCheng]

@Syed.Ali.Haider as reserach scientist over medical sciences,what are reviews about drug effect over human body? what do you suggest to your fellow molecular biologists?
I am keen to hear your excellent input.

Regards

Thank you for the tag, but this thread is not my area of expertise.

 

[anant_s]

Let me share with you how it works. My team is engineering therapeutic antibodies against certain proteins of HIV. We obtain the sequences of antibody genes and clone them into plasmid vectors. Next we express these vector -borne antibody genes in suitable hosts such as bacteria or mammalian cells and test the ability of expressed and purified recombinant antibodies against viral proteins in in vitro assays. If we find that antibody molecules are working, we try to improve their binding activity through a process called 'direct evolution'. Once we are satisfied with the binding activity (at-least in low nano molar range) of the engineered molecules, we test them in functional assays that involve virulent viruses. Using similar assays, we also study the effect of 'drug pressure' on virus mutation.

Like you have correctly pointed out, almost all bacteria and more so viruses mutate to evade drugs. Sometimes it is a silent mutation (mutation in the codon but resulting amino acid remains same) and sometimes not silent i.e. amino acid change. We expose the virus to drugs for several generations and sequence the target DNA (usually that encodes the protein against which drug was tested) obtained from each generation. This gives us an idea of which sequences are highly conserved (mutation in such sequences will prove lethal hence avoided by the virus) and which are not. We try to target highly conserved regions so either the drug itself will take care of the virus or if virus attempts to mutate the specific region, the mutation will result in a defective protein and resulting viruses will be non-infectious.

Even though I have given you example from my work i.e. therapeutic antibodies, but approach is similar for small molecule inhibitors (traditional chemical -based drugs) and peptides.

Sir, with my limited knowledge of these things, can you please explain (in layman terms) how medicine attacks a virus?

 

[halupridol]

Thank you for the tag, but this thread is not my area of expertise.

which wud be......

 

[livingdead]

which wud be......

he is CIA agent.

 

[VCheng]

which wud be......

....... not the topic of this thread?

 

[Stephen Cohen]

@Syed.Ali.Haider

Dear Sir ; you are a very knowledgable person

So you should APPRECIATE whatever patent laws we have or dont have

in the light of a bottomline

The BOTTOM LINE is Two fold ; ie what we have been able to achieve

1 ) Affordable medicines for our people

2 ) A 15 Billion DOLLAR annual export revenue earned by India

As more medicines come out of patent ; we can earn even more

 

[VCheng]

@Syed.Ali.Haider

Dear Sir ; you are a very knowledgable person

So you should APPRECIATE whatever patent laws we have or dont have

in the light of a bottomline

The BOTTOM LINE is Two fold ; ie what we have been able to achieve

1 ) Affordable medicines for our people

2 ) A 15 Billion DOLLAR annual export revenue earned by India

As more medicines come out of patent ; we can earn even more

I have no problem in recognizing the many contributions made by the Indian pharmaceutical industry in proving cheaper medicines all across the globe, as long it also accommodates international law and practices in addition to its own. After all, the goal is to be a global player in the years to come, and for that longer term goal, it is better to contribute within the system rather than be outside it.

 

[doppelganger]

I have no problem in recognizing the many contributions made by the Indian pharmaceutical industry in proving cheaper medicines all across the globe, as long it also accommodates international law and practices in addition to its own. After all, the goal is to be a global player in the years to come, and for that longer term goal, it is better to contribute within the system rather than be outside it.

Our population comes first.

Next the population of the developing world.

Last and a fair way down the pecking order comes "the system." Because we understand what "the system" is a euphemism for, and who controls it, and how.

 

[halupridol]

he is CIA agent.

his signature gives u ideas "closet Yahuqadiani fake expat yankee coffee drinking wannabe Mongol Punjabi"

not the topic of this thread?

hmm,,,u knew about sildenafil citrate n its usage at high altitudes,,,,,so i assume u know enuff pharmacology to answer slav's query about general pharmacodynamics

 

[Stephen Cohen]

Our population comes first.

Next the population of the developing world.

Last and a fair way down the pecking order comes "the system." Because we understand what "the system" is a euphemism for, and who controls it, and how.

And we are also earning a neat 15 billion dollars per year in exports

NOT bad at all