IMGENEX INDIA: PIONEERS IN HIGH-QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE BIOTHERAPEUTICS

Imgenex India: Pioneers In High-quality And Affordable Biotherapeutics

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Established in 2004, IMGENEX India Pvt. Ltd. stands out as a beacon of innovation and commitment to providing affordable healthcare to less privileged patients. The company focuses on designing, developing, and delivering high-quality and affordable biotherapeutics.

IMGENEX India’s mission is to not only develop high-quality biomedical research tools but also, its research endeavours are directed towards the discovery of novel therapeutically important molecules to address and treat various disease indications. Adding further, Dr Sujay Singh, the man behind the idea, MD & CEO of IMGENEX says,

“Life-saving drugs should not be expensive, they must be affordable.”

As one of the largest producers of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins in India, IMGENEX India produces more than 250 monoclonal antibodies and 300 recombinant proteins per year. Continuing to lead the way in drug solutions, IMGENEX India has developed antibodies against SARS-COVID-2 proteins, which are instrumental in creating Indigenous diagnostic kits for COVID-19.

Additionally, the company has received grants from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the SBIRI scheme to develop drugs for osteoporosis using nanotechnology-based drug delivery, as well as grants from BIRAC for developing a high-yield mammalian expression system in CHO cells that can produce 3-4 g recombinant antibodies per liter.

Genesis of IMGENEX India

Dr Singh established IMGENEX India to provide affordable research reagents to Indian scientists. The company started as a small sole proprietorship in Bhubaneswar. Initially, the mice and rabbits used to develop antibodies were housed in rental properties. IMGENEX India was the first of biotech company in Odisha and in the Eastern part of India. At that time, many people including government officials in Odisha, were unfamiliar with biotechnology, so educating them about the field was a constant struggle.

During the early days, IMGENEX India was primarily known for its work with rabbits. Since local educational institutes did not offer laboratory courses to teach the necessary techniques, recruiting local talents was challenging.

However, the individuals who joined the company were willing to take a risk and join a small start-up biotech company, which was relatively a new concept at the time. Their dedication and willingness to learn and adapt to any task contributed to the company’s growth. Even after 23 years, some team members who joined during the early stages are still with the company.

In 2004, the company relocated to a modern R&D and manufacturing building with its own animal house built at Infocity complex, on land leased from Industrial Development Corporation (IDCO) of Odisha. The R&D unit of IMGENEX India was inaugurated in 2005 by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the then Hon’ble President of India. His visit helped raise awareness about the company in Bhubaneswar and Odisha.

Today, IMGENEX India has emerged as a leading biotech company in India, producing recombinant proteins and antibodies for research in various disease indications including cancer, arthritis, psoriasis and infectious diseases. Dr. Singh and team are recognized by the Department of Science and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.

The Notable Innovations and Impact

IMGENEX India is one of the largest manufacturers of antibodies and recombinant proteins in India. These products are used by scientists around the world for researching various diseases and discovering the mechanism of actions of targets in this disease. IMGENEX India aims to focus on developing biologics that are affordable to patients in India and can also be available to patients in other countries with lower economies.

Dr. Singh’s Unique Leadership Mantra

Dr. Sujay Singh brings years of versatile leadership experience within the biotech domain. He has a clear vision where he would like to take his company in the next 4-5 years. Dr. Singh understands that this is not a one-person job and can only be achieved by building trust and credibility within the team. He strives to set an example through his commitment to the company through his actions, words, and attitudes to motivate the team to strive for success.

He believes that confidence in oneself and the team helps foster trust and enthusiasm. Being confident allows him to take calculated risks and drive progress. He tries to relate to the emotions and perspectives of employees to build stronger relationships and foster a supportive work environment. However, when needed he makes decisive and difficult decisions, often under pressure, with confidence and clarity for the benefit of the company.

Cultural Cornerstones at IMGENEX India

With an unwavering commitment to hard work and cooperation, the team members enable the company to create an excellent workforce. Like any organisation, there may be disagreements. However, the team mediates those by clear communication. Dr. Singh believes in hard work, and completion projects on time without unnecessary stress.

“Teamwork is the most important part of the growth of a company. We emphasize clarity in thought, transparent communications and trust each other”, shares Dr. Singh.

Mapping the Path Ahead: Vision and Opportunities

In an era where the demand for drugs is continuously rising, IMGENEX India has several biologics drugs in the pipeline. These include recombinant antibodies for the treatment of psoriasis, controlling LDL and treating Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The company aspires to become a leading biotechnology company with “Made in India” biologics for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.

“We strive to incorporate novel technologies to improve our research. Currently, we are developing some strategic partnerships to generate AI-based antibody designs. Our laboratories are well-equipped to support the wet-lab testing of AI generated antibodies” emphasises Dr. Singh.

Remarkable Achievements and Milestones IMGENEX India measures success by its transformative impact on patients and healthcare. The company has received several awards and recognitions including “Emerging Company in the Asia-Pacific Region in the Year 2011” by Singapore-based Bio Spectrum magazine and “Emerging Company of the Year 2015 in Bioindustry sector in India” by Bangalore Bio.

IMGENEX India also received grants from the Department of Biotechnology, India, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other agencies to develop reagents for diagnostic applications and therapeutic products. It is the only company in the Eastern India to receive approval for a COVID-19 rapid antigen test kit during pandemic.

Recently, the company developed a rapid antigen test kit for the detection of Monkeypox, which will be submitted for ICMR approval.

Words of Wisdom

Dr. Singh advises young entrepreneurs,

” Starting a company needs strong determination and commitment. There will be a time you may not have money to pay the rent or salaries for the employees, which I have personally experienced. There will be hardships, but your mantra should be to never give up. You should be able to find a way. After all, our goal should be to help people live a healthier life by translating our knowledge to a product.”

“Biopharma companies should also invest more in R&D since in India R&D expenses are only 7% of the net sales compared to 15-20% for global companies. To compete with companies in the USA, Europe, and China, we need to produce novel biologics. Even though the revenues may not be high, we should develop drugs for unmet needs and orphan diseases.”

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