IIIM-CSIR opens cGMP plant in Jammu for phyto-pharmaceuticals

Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), a part of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), has opened a cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) compliant plant at its Jammu campus for extraction, formulation and packaging of medicinal plant based phyto-pharmaceutical drugs. The plant was inaugurated by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology and

Earth Sciences, and Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for DoNER, PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, DoAE and Department of Space, on Thursday.

The facility, which is first such national cGMP plant established in the public sector in India, has been issued a manufacturing license by Drug & Food Control Organization, Jammu & Kashmir.

The CGMP facility would provide high-quality infrastructure for the manufacture of botanical/phyto-pharmaceuticals in a way to ensure their safety, efficacy and quality for global market. The establishment of this facility at CSIR-IIIM will also help all CSIR institutes engaged in drug discovery & development in converting their natural product leads to pre-clinical and clinical development for marketing approvals. It will also provide opportunity to new entrepreneurs/SMEs engaged in manufacture of standardised extracts and botanical drug formulations, natural products etc. to evaluate their research leads and eventually graduate as entrepreneurs so that more number of industries can be setup and employment can be generated.

This facility will also be used as the Technology Business Incubator (TBI), for which Department of Science and Technology has already approved a project. The experience, expertise and infrastructure like state-of-the-art QC/QA division coupled with GLP (good laboratory practices) standard animal house available with IIIM are suitable to extend incubation ecosystem to entrepreneurs/SMEs by providing wide range of services available in the institute as an overall holistic research and development support, mentorship and hand holding in all spheres of phyto-pharmaceutical product development cycle. The facilities will also be used in conducting certified training programs for students, entrepreneurs, etc.