Ex-GSK Pharma MD Urges R&D Boost for India's Drug Innovation

India needs to seriously build its ecosystem of drug discovery to compete on the world stage, says Annaswamy Vaidheesh, former Managing Director of GSK Pharmaceuticals. In an interview, Vaidheesh said Glenmark's research facility, IGI Therapeutics, signing a $700 million licensing agreement with world biopharma giant AbbVie last week, vindicates India's scientific capability, but more systematic investments at the earliest are needed.

"The ₹5,000 crore government assistance is a beginning but still lacking," Vaidheesh added, stating that drug development in the West would involve $4–5 billion per project. Even if India works at lower costs, the volume of investment remains an issue.

Vaidheesh stressed the requirement for increased integration between academia, capital, human resources, and regulatory systems, as there are models available in the US and Europe. "We have to take what is happening in the Valley and copy it here. It will take time, but it's worth it," he said.

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Artificial intelligence, he further posited, will be one of the driving factors to accelerate drug targeting and drug development. "AI has an increasingly important role to play in drug discovery. Those that embrace AI will be differentiators," he continued.

Congratulating Glenmark's landmark deal, Vaidheesh further said that the success of ISB 2001, a first-in-class trispecific antibody for multiple myeloma, reflects the strength of Indian innovation nurtured consistently. He expressed gratitude to Glenmark CMD Glenn Saldanha for betting on innovation early, calling the deal a potential template for the Indian biotech future.

"This is just the beginning. It's going to inspire many others," he said.