PGI to start animal testing of drugs

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

Adding another feather to its cap, the PGI will be the first institute in the country to test new drugs and allied equipment on animals.

The Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, PGI , has got the first-ever digital subtraction angiography (DSA) facility in the country dedicated for basic research in animals.

“This facility will aim at testing new drugs and hardware that can potentially be used for the treatment of human disorders,” said Prof MS Sandhu, Head, Department of Radiodiagnosis, PGI.

The machine is being installed and it would be made functional next month, he said.

The DSA machine is a digital X-ray emitting machine that helps in the precise evaluation of vessels inside the human or animal body once iodine-based contrast is injected into the specific vessel through thin tubes called catheters that are placed inside that vessel and it gives an exquisite display of the vascular system of that particular organ and the blood flow pattern.

“Before coming into market for human use, all drugs and allied equipment have to undergo strict checks in animal models followed by human trials in various phases,” said Dr Sandhu.

He said: “Currently, due to the lack of appropriate testing facilities for newer devices aimed at interventional treatment of disorders in India, almost all of these certifications are done in the United States, Europe and East-Asian countries. This often involves delay in treatment reaching the Indian shores and is significantly expensive due to high import duties.”

“With the setting up of this laboratory, there is a chance that these limitations may be taken care of to some extent for some new drugs and equipment. The facility will also be in sync with the national policy of ‘Make in India’ and it will be in the interest of patient care too,” stated Prof Sandhu.