Economic Times
April 5, 2001

Sami Labs all set to take biotech to new heights

 

Bangalore – based Sami Labs plans to utilise biotech tools to produce Probiotics – oil eating bacteria to process spice oleoresins.

Talking to ET, Dr. M. Majeed, Managing Director, Sami Labs, said the lab is currently working to conduct research on developing newer applications of known natural products and their derivatives.

Along with a research group in India it has also set up a parallel group at Princeton, USA to develop new processes and new products and also commence efforts to find newer application of traditional Indian Herbs and spices.

In the areas of new drug discovery, the centre has identified a new molecule, which increases skin permeability. This molecule has applications not only in medicine and cosmetics but also in agriculture, as it enhances the efficacy of fungicides and insecticides because it facilitates their entry into the cells of pests and plants.

The research group of the company has also developed new natural products for wound healing, hair growth and on natural antioxidants including a derivative of curcumin from turmeric which retains all pharmacological properties of curcumin but is white in colour. "White colour is more acceptable for certain specific uses", he added.

The company’s exports has been growing steadily, he said and added that in 2000 the company clocked Rs.45 crore exports.

In 2001, it planned to close at Rs.54 crore and for the year 2002 about Rs.80 crore.

The company has introduced many of its Indian herbal products in the US market. "The credibility of these products were built up by conducting numerous clinical trials on key products in the US", said Mr. Majeed.

The company commenced its operations by setting up a manufacturing facility at Kunigal in 1997 and later a second unit in Mysore also started production in 2000. In early 2001, the company’s biotechnology centre was opened and started trial production of Lactospore.

Anil Urs,
Bangalore.