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Best of
TRENDS IN PHYSICAL THERAPY THAT WILL RULE 2021
REGENERATIVE
MEDICINE COMPANIES
2021 / VOL. 01 / ISSUE-01
2021
Vipul Jain CEO and Founder
BRAND VALUE HEALTHCARE BRAND MARKETING DURING COVID-19
Note
Editor’s
The Silver Lining
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has been a wakeup call for every one of us. The unprecedented effects have left an impact so severe that even after a year people all around the world are still struggling to overcome the aftermath of loss, suffering, and illnesses. The pandemic also brought into light the cracks in the armor of the healthcare sector, as also the need for some really detailed patch-up of those cracks. The development of novel medicines and approaches towards tackling COVID-19 aimed towards achieving this goal. One discipline of medicinal science that emerged strong amidst the other discoveries was that of regenerative medicines. A recent market report, as published on statista.com, forecasts the regenerative medicine market for 2025, as per the type of therapy, to be valued at 50.5 billion US dollars, where stem cell therapy is valued at USD 21.3 billion, gene therapy valued at USD 6.9 billion, and tissue engineering is valued at USD 22.2 billion. An article written by Angelo S. Mao and David J. Mooney and published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, states that the discipline of regenerative medicine comprises of many approaches, including the use of materials and de novo generated cells, as well as various combinations thereof, to take the place of missing tissue, effectively replacing it both structurally and functionally, or to contribute to tissue healing.
otherwise did not have effective cures or therapies. Commenting upon the awareness side of regenerative medicine, Vipul Jain, the CEO of Advancells says, “In the Indian healthcare scenario, there are very few doctors who practice regenerative medicine and patients looking for an alternative treatment are not much aware of regenerative medicine or stem cell therapy as well. However, with advancements in stem cell research and translation, I believe that this equation will slowly get better as more doctors witness the positive outcomes upon the use of regenerative medicine treatment.” In another scenario in the US, the application of stem cell therapy by GIOSTAR within a 53-year-old COVID patient proved to be life saving at an exponential extent. GIOSTAR achieved this by infusing Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) extracted from an umbilical cord, thus providing an instance of how effective regenerative medicines and related therapies can be. This brings us to our edition, Best of 5 Regenerative Medicine Companies, 2021, wherein we came across innovative companies that are ceaselessly striving to deliver the best therapeutic provisions rooting from strong research and development by leveraging the science of regenerative medicines. Read on to discover a world of opportunities, success, and excellence in the healthcare industry!
This evidently has opened the doors healthcare companies to find a cure for those diseases which
Abhishaj Sajeev
A Pioneer at the Forefront of the Healthcare Revolution
Advancells
Cover Story
08
Article s
Contents 16
28
Watch Out
Brand Value
Trends in Physical Therapy that will Rule 2021
HEALTHCARE Brand Marketing During COVID-19
COMPANY OF THE MONTH GIOSTAR
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Leading India towards an Immune Future
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30
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Accurex Biomedical
Stempeutics Research
TrioxNano
Saving Lives Through Quality Medical Diagnostic Solutions
A Leading Name in Stem Cell Therapeutics
Opening Windows to Inventions through Biological Nano Carriers
Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor
Sumita Sarkar Anish Miller
Managing Editor
Abhishaj Sajeev
Assisting Editor
Darshan Parmar
Visualiser Art & Design Head Co-designer Art & Picture Editor
David King Asha Bange Paul Belin Deepanjali Jena
Business Development Manager Marketing Manager
Mark Williams Mary D’Souza Sarah Wilson, John Smith
Business Development Executives Sales Executives
Kelli, Bill, Amy
Technical Head Assistant Technical Head Technical Consultants
Jacob Smile Pratiksha Patil David, Robert
Digital Marketing Manager Assistant Digital Marketing Manager SME-SMO Executives
Alina Sege Amol Wadekar Atul, Gemson
Research Analyst Circulation Manager
Eric Smith Tanaji
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5 REGENERATIVE BEST OF
MEDICINE COMPANIES 2021
Company Name
Management
Brief
Accurex Biomedical accurex.net
Abhinav Thakur Managing Director
Accurex Biomedical Pvt. Ltd is a leading manufacturer of quality Clinical Chemistry Reagents and Urinalysis Test Strips with over 35 years of expertise in this area.
Advancells advancells.com
Vipul Jain CEO
Advacells is an India based research-oriented company focused on regenerative medicine and its therapeutic applications.
GIOSTAR giostar.com
Deven Patel CEO
GIOSTAR is a leader in developing cutting edge stem cellbased technology, supported by leading scientists with pioneering publications in the area of stem cell biology.
Stempeutics Research Pvt. Ltd. stempeutics.com
BN Manohar MD and CEO
Stempeutics Research is a late stage life science company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapeutics based on adult stem cells.
TrioxNano Ltd.
Dr. Roy Farfara Founder
Triox Nano is an innovative bio-technology company developing programmable biologic nano carriers that are able to accurately deliver payloads to their target.
Vipul Jain CEO and Founder
A PIONEER AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE HEALTHCARE REVOLUTION
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WE BELIEVE IN WORKING TOWARDS ESTABLISHING GOODWILL AND GOOD HEALTH AMONG THE PATIENTS WITH THE BEST QUALITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND PATIENT-CARE
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ealthcare and medicine have been of prime significance to mankind with the intent of sustaining our lifespans and keeping it free of any ailments. Healthcare facilities and services in India have been evolving with time and in the recent years have been on a path of continuous development. Companies across this spectrum are ceaselessly striving to deliver the best of their potential in order to cater to the ever-increasing demands of the healthcare industry. This edition, Best of 5 Regenerative Medicine Companies, places a spotlight on those companies that are bringing about profound changes and innovations in the sphere of regenerative medicine. One prominent name among these companies is Advancells, an India based research-oriented company focused on regenerative medicine and its therapeutic applications. In the following interview with Insights Care, Vipul Jain, the CEO and Founder of Advancells Group shares with us in detail about the current landscape of the healthcare sector and how his company has gained a strong foothold within the same. Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our readers about Advancells, its vision, and the key aspects of its strong position in the healthcare industry. Advancells Group is a multifaceted organization which focuses on cell culture research and stem cell therapeutics to encourage academic and industrial innovations in the healthcare domain. An offshoot of
the same, Advancells strongly believes that stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine can change the global viewpoint of medical healthcare in the years to come. Humankind is looking towards an era where personalized medicine will replace drugs, organ transplantation will be based on 3D printed organs, and aging will be a reversible process. These miraculous statements will no longer be mere words upon the progression of stem cell therapy into translation and Advancells will play a major role in realizing such biomedical applications. With an expert research and clinical consultation team, we harbour the potential to hold an eminent position as a premier regenerative therapy-based global organization. What makes your company a preferred choice among your clientele over your competitors? Currently, stem cell banking and research have gained prominence in India, but therapy is still a neglected perspective. Advancells bridges this gap by creating regenerative therapy awareness and encouraging stem cell therapies. When it comes to our USPs, Advancells harbours cGMP certified cell culture laboratories and expert research personnel to ensure that our clients get the best quality of stem cells for therapy and research, besides other bioproducts like tissue-specific and disease-specific primary cells. When it comes to patient treatment and policies, with a gross 70% therapeutic success rate, many patients have found significant relief from disorders of osteoarthritis, diabetes, and ALS with stem cell therapy.
The credit of Advancells being a preferred choice for stem cell therapy, goes to our medical experts who play a major role in helping doctors, patients and care-givers in understanding the clinical potential of stem cell therapy. Besides that, low-cost and quality healthcare assurance makes more patients take up our value-added services as compared to our competitors. From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the healthcare industry and the related market for regenerative medicines? In all practicality, every industry has been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and a lot of predicted CAGR percentages for biomedical trends will have to be recalculated before understanding the forecast, due to the pandemic setback. But research-wise, the COVID-19 duration has been the most hardworking time for several healthcare and related companies. Besides spending resources and time on vaccines and alternative therapies, many big firms have pushed a lot of effort into drug designing and repurposing. Scientifically speaking, such a research pace has not been seen prior to the pandemic crisis. Other than that, in my opinion, another major change for the companies was the transition into digital marketing for business survival. While many companies ceased to exist, and many stood strong through the storm of the pandemic, this period also laid ground for some entrepreneurs to build up their company in healthcare related fields. To sum it up, the
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About Vipul Jain “As an entrepreneur, the desire to branch out of a secured salaried job makes the journey unpredictable and tough,” says Vipul Jain the CEO and Founder of Advancells Group. With an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, Vipul is one of the few global serial entrepreneurs who believe in heralding a progressive outlook for the growth of their company. Vipul started his career with medical tourism and went on to establish Advancells in 2013 as a pioneer in stem cell research and healthcare to focus on regenerative medicine as an alternative mode of therapy for patients with chronic diseases. Over the course of time, and under Vipul’s leadership, Advancells has built a global client base with its high-quality therapeutic products and international patient-care standards.
pandemic was a survival life lesson for very industry out there. Share with us your opinion on the necessity for businesses to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to changing industry trends and customer preferences? Business and marketing strategies have evolved in the current times to a customer-based engagementoriented marketing and the major survival criteria is to adapt. It is quite necessary for business ventures to align their services with the recently available technologies so that they can provide optimum timely and useful value-based products. The best example to put forward is the adapting of telemedicine and telehealth technologies by healthcare business. While visiting a clinic or a doctor was regarded as ‘should be avoided’ due to social distancing norms during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth apps and technologies kept the healthcare business afloat. So yes, every day sees business entities moulding their ways and adapting to modern technologies to innovate themselves. That is the way it should be! In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare industry post the COVID-19 pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future? As far as the healthcare industry is concerned, it is inevitable that postCOVID-19 period is going to see a bloom in business. Regarding the operations of Advancells, we have always been a step ahead in organizing and
strategizing the market demands to maintain an optimum balance between business profits and social welfare through healthcare, even in times of a crisis. During the pandemic, Advancells started producing DRDO-certified Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, to help the frontline healthcare warriors, and ICMR-certified Viral transport Medium (VTM) kits, to accentuate COVID-19 sample collection for faster diagnosis. Advancells has always believed in helping people and even after the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue following our passion, sticking to govt. healthcare guidelines. If given a chance, what is the one thing that you would change about the business ecosystem in your respective market? In Indian healthcare scenario, there are very few doctors who practice regenerative medicine and patients looking for an alternative treatment are not much aware of regenerative medicine or stem cell therapy too. This is a major problem in our business market as most medical personnel are themselves hesitant of prioritizing stem cell therapies. But with advancements in stem cell research and translation, we believe that this equation will slowly get better as more doctors witness the positive patient outcomes upon the use of regenerative medicine treatment. As an established busines leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into healthcare industry? The first step of any entrepreneurship venture is to have a good plan and the second step is to believe in it all the way towards success. Failure is a part of taking
the entrepreneurial leap, but no success comes without it. If you have a plan, and you think you bear the potential to go along, never hesitate to work towards it. If I have to advice regarding the entrepreneurial journey in the healthcare domain, always know the trend! Do not hesitate to work towards it. It is always better to try and fail, rather than lying around and hoping for a miracle to happen. Failure has always been considered the pillar of success and you should not let your fear or insecurities get the best of you. If you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, you should take the risk. For a passionate entrepreneur, every day is an experience and a lesson to learn for the company’s growth. The more you learn, the more successful will be your vision. How do you envision on sustaining your company’s competency in a cutthroat and volatile world of business? Where do you see your company in the next five years? Not many companies can take up the challenge of promoting stem cell therapy and encourage people to witness the positive application of regenerative medicine. In that respect, we hardly look at any company as a competitor. We believe in working towards establishing goodwill and good health among the patients with the best quality of technology and patient-care. The world needs more people who can vouch for the therapeutic benefit of stem cell therapy and that will require more industries practicing stem cell therapy awareness along ethical lines with no false promises.
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Trends in
PHYSICAL THE that will Rule
16 | JANUARY 2021 |
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Watch out
A
ERAPY
2021
s an important part of the healthcare system, physical therapists have provided quality care to the patients even during the current pandemic. Given the importance and magnitude of physical disability after accidents, many survivors, including those from Covid could benefit from physical therapy services. However, the lack of awareness leads to challenges to work. Physical therapy effectively helps treatments and improvements in a patient’s physical functioning. Switching to Telehealth For patients who cannot risk entering any healthcare facility, Physical Therapies will be provided by telehealth services. Because so many people are working from home, the situation will arise in the future for telehealth setups. It will help people who live in areas where access to physical therapy is lacking. During a private telehealth session, one can also involve the family members. Having this feature will prove valuable for the future. Aquatic Therapy It uses physical properties of water which is useful for a variety of medical conditions. Obesity is a big issue nowadays; this therapy is extremely useful for such people. It also strengthens muscles and decreases joint stress. Super-Suits and Robotics There is no cure for cerebral palsy. Moreover, many of the symptoms of cerebral palsy can be improved with physical therapy. Physical Therapy for cerebral palsy will take on a futuristic look with the introduction of exoskeletons or wearable robotic devices. It is a wearable device that combines robotics and electronics to help improve walking. It also strengthens wearer’s muscles and brain coordination. As healthcare continues to evolve rapidly, so will the physical therapy. The focus will be on physical therapy, with all these trends coming our way, it will certainly improve the way of living. Experts agree that the demand for physical therapy will continue to increase. It will be able to deliver the right care at the right time in the right place thanks to technologies of course. The employment as well is projected to grow 34 per cent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physical therapy is the next big thing and a key to healthy living in many more ways.
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| JANUARY 2021 | 17
COMPANY OF THE MONTH
Leading India towards an Immune Future
I
n August 2020, a 53-year-old COVID patient who was in a comatose state, struggling to hold on to life, was infused with Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) taken from an umbilical cord. The results of this infusion were nothing less than enthralling as the patient recovered significantly in over three weeks. This medical marvel was made possible by Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and Research (GIOSTAR), which is on a mission to administer the safest and most effective stem cell therapies and to deliver the highest quality care through its hospitals. GIOSTAR was founded on the vision to provide stem cell-based therapy to people suffering from all kinds of degenerative or genetic diseases around the world. The company is evidently a leader in developing cutting edge stem cell-based technology, supported by leading scientists with pioneering publications in the area of stem cell biology. GIOSTAR was also one of the first company/research institute in the world which received USA-FDA approval in April 2020 to treat COVID-19 patients with stem cells. The company’s primary focus is on discovering and developing a cure for human diseases through state-of-the-art 20 | JANUARY 2021 |
and unique stem cell-based therapies and products. The company’s intellectual property, intellectual assets and technology have been developed over its team working on research projects funded to the tune of more than several hundred million dollars. GIOSTAR is a coalition of esteemed and illustrious scientific minds in the field of genetic and stem cell science. The company’s team members have been involved in the development and utilization of stem cell based clinical protocols related to malignant and nonmalignant diseases for the last 20 years. The company’s leaders are associated with leading universities and research institutes of USA. GIOSTAR is affiliated with University of California San Diego Medical College (UCSD), University of California Irvine Medical
College (UCI), Salk Research Institute, San Diego, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, San Diego, University of California Los Angeles Medical College (UCLA), USA, Harvard Medical School, Imperial College, London. “Our team has developed several research collaborations and has an extensive research experience in the stem cell therapy which is documented by several publications in revered scientific journals,” says Dr Anand Srivastava, the Chairman and Cofounder of GIOSTAR. Dr Srivastava’s profound success has its root in his unique background and expertise in stem cell biology, protein biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, in utero transplantation of stem cell, tissue targeting, gene therapy and clinical research.
www.giostar.com
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The team at GIOSTAR is reaching heights of success also under the able leadership of Mr. Deven Patel, the CEO, President and Cofounder. Mr. Patel was honoured with USA Congressional Recognition for his efforts in spreading the advancement of stem cell science around the world. He was also bestowed with the Asian www.insightscare.com
Heritage Award for his business leadership in the field of stem cell science. GIOSTAR, under the leadership of Mr. Patel, is heading the development of stem cell transplant program for four different State Governments in India with total population of approx. 155 million. The company, in collaborations with Government of Gujarat, India, has founded the world’s largest state-of-the-art stem cell treatment hospital in India. GIOSTAR is also in process of developing additional facilities in China, Thailand, Colombia, Bahamas, Dubai, and Australia. Talking about how GIOSTAR successfully found the solution to treat COVID-19 related health issues, Dr Srivastava explains, “COVID-19 infection leads to uncontrolled release of proinflammatory cytokines known as ‘cytokine storms’ that potentially lead to fatal damage of many organs of
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OUR TEAM HAS DEVELOPED SEVERAL RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS AND HAS AN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN THE STEM CELL THERAPY WHICH IS DOCUMENTED BY SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS IN REVERED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
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There are many scientists who can work in a narrowly defined field, but few have broad and multidisciplinary experience to carry out clinical research in a field as challenging as stem cell biology, cancer, and gene therapy. Dr Srivastava’s wide-spectrum expertise is rare in clinical research and perfectly crafted to fit ideally with the GIOSTAR’s projects for stem cell transplant, cancer, and gene therapy research. Dr Srivastava is also serving as stem cell director for the government of Gujarat, India and is in the process of establishing the stem cell program for Gujarat, Government of India.
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the body. MSCs have specific characteristics that, when infused in the bloodstream, neutralize proinflammatory cytokines (through ‘immunomodulation’), down-regulate the inflammatory gene actions and send messages to regenerate damaged lung and other tissues, which may help in managing COVID-19.” GIOSTAR is also gearing up to start its clinical trial for patients with aftereffects of COVID-19 on lungs and other organs. We asked Dr Srivastava about his opinion on the necessity for businesses to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to changing industry trends and customer preferences, to 22 | JANUARY 2021 |
which he replied, “Scientific research is an ever-evolving process. GIOSTAR being hard core research organization allows it to be at the forefront of new innovations and possible cure for several incurable disease. This same mindset has made us one of the first research institutes in the world to get very early approval form USA-FDA to treat COVID-19 patients with stem cells.” Mr. Patel on the other hand shared a few tokens of knowledge through the commercial perspective of regenerative medicine development, he says, “The pharma and scientific research businesses are very competitive, at very high level of science and at very
high cost. Therefore, a simple advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to first get their ducks in the row and get your finances figured out way in advance, otherwise it is very easy to bankrupt the company in this volatile economy.” GIOSTAR’s plan to continue scaling its operation, keeping in mind the unpredictable future, can be viewed to be agile and ready to run. Pertaining to stable finances, the company’s pipeline of several technologies is very robust and in line with its projections. GIOSTAR is poised to be the largest stem cell research and therapy company on the earth. The company is already becoming a synonym for the stem cell treatment.
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Abhinav Thakur Managing Director 24 | JANUARY 2021 |
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REGENERATIVE
MEDICINE COMPANIES 2021
Accurex
Biomedical Saving Lives Through Quality Medical Diagnostic Solutions
B
“
In the next decade, we want to become the #1 Indian diagnostics company.
efore 1984 almost 100% of the diagnostic reagents were imported into India. To promote the manufacturing of such reagents in India, Mr. A.J. Thakur founded Accurex Biomedical in 1984 with a vision to be one of the Top 3 world-class Indian medical diagnostics companies. Headquartered in Mumbai, Accurex was the first company in India to manufacture urine test strips and enzymatic clinical chemistry reagents. This was the beginning of the IVD clinical chemistry manufacturing industry in India. The journey of Accurex since 1984 has been on a growth trajectory. With the continuous launch of innovative products, Accurex has created a brand name in the Indian IVD Industry.
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Taking the company forward and keeping its values of Honesty, Perseverance, Prosperity, and Innovation intact through all these years is the current Managing Director, Abhinav Thakur. Abhinav shares more details about Accurex. What are the prominent services and products that your company offers? Accurex provides a plethora of innovative and trustworthy medical diagnostic solutions. In the laboratory diagnostics space, Accurex offers the entire range of clinical chemistry and haematology reagents. In instruments, it offers semiautomated, fully automated clinical chemistry, and 3 part & 5 part haematology analyzers. The company also offers urinalysis test strips, urinalysis meters, and immunology rapid tests.
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About the Leader The company operations are spearheaded by Abhinav Thakur, Managing Director at Accurex Biomedical. He graduated from the world-renowned University of California-Davis before completing his PGDM at NMIMS University, Mumbai. When he was studying in the USA, unfortunately, his father died untimely at a young age of 49, which led him to join the family business. Since Abhinav’s appointment as the Managing Director, the company has grown 4.2 times in revenue and the size of the team also increased from 90 to 170 individuals. Over the past decade, Accurex has grown from a diagnostic reagent company to a diagnostics reagents and instruments company.
Besides these, Accurex offers blood glucose meters, haemoglobin meters, HbAlc meters, immunofluorescence meters, uric acid meters, and respective test strips in the Point of Care (POC) segment. Moreover, it has recently launched hand sanitizers, face masks, face shields, infrared thermometers, viral transport medium, and COVID-19 rapid antibody tests to fight against the pandemic and fill the void caused by a drop in sales of its routine products. Being an experienced leader, what is your opinion on the adaptation of newer technological developments to sustain business competency? It is very important to grow an organization to satisfy the aspirations of all the stakeholders. Growth for an organisation is like what oxygen is for life. Growth is important to sustain an organization. Technological developments are oxygen to an organization since it leads to growth. Without it, the business will cease to exist. Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its
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impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time? Change is inevitable however adaptation and survival are optional. As an organization, we need to be agile to adapt to the changes happening in the external environment. As we have seen in millions of years of evolution that it’s the species that adapt survives the longest and the species that don’t adapt go extinct. I believe that businesses that innovate and adapt to the changes caused by the pandemic will survive and some may even prosper. For instance, due to the pandemic, Accurex has converted most of its fixed costs into variable costs since the top-line forecast was uncertain. This helped the company maintain the cash flow to sustain its operations. Consequently, by changing its business model to cater to the needs caused by the pandemic, Accurex plans to sustain and overcome the challenges caused by the pandemic. For the safety of our office employees in the COIVD hotspot Mumbai, we will continue with work from home until it's safe for employees to travel to work. Give us a few testimonials of your clients that accurately highlight your organization’s position in the market. In today's digital age online reviews are testimonials which matter most since I believe 90% of customers research products online before they purchase. On Google, we have 1,146 reviews. This is the highest number of reviews in our industry. We are proud our google reviews rating is 4.8/5. This validates our high levels of customer service. www.insightscare.com
HEALTHCARE Brand Marketing COVID-19 During
O
utbreak of the novel Coronavirus has affected many sectors of business. However, some industries have received a positive impact due to it too. One such industry is the healthcare industry. Healthcare sector has been at peak since the outburst of the Wuhan virus. People have started giving healthcare prime importance during this time. The number of searches for medical advice has increased now than that before Covid 19. The onset of the infection has made people think about their body, health and healthcare more than before. This is the perfect time for healthcare brands to market themselves. Csurrently, the return on investment is high for these brands compared to other times. The only concern here is marketing their products and services efficiently. Although the timing is right for marketing, the money available to invest is limited. Investing efficiently would be wise in order to receive the expected returns. The rise of coronavirus cases in the world has
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led every small and big healthcare brand to come forward to help spread awareness. Each brand is working on marketing themselves and making people aware of the brand. Some of the medical digital marketing strategies that can be used by healthcare brands are as below: Websites: Websites being the primary point of contact, brands should post notices on their website. People should be addressed about how the brand is acting towards the spread of the pandemic. Spreading awareness about the virus and at the same time advising people to take the precautionary measures is one way of catching their attention. There are many brands that have taken up this time to modify their websites. Reputation Management: Hopefully, every brand has a reputation management program in place. Every brand is in competition now to find the cure or vaccine for Coronavirus. There can be failed attempts by brands as well. These failures need to be handled in a mannerly way to avoid any brand
image issues. Maintaining brand reputation is of utmost importance at times like these. During this time, if the brand image is set strong, then that is the best marketing that a brand can do. Video Advertisements: With people staying home, online browsing has increased. Videos are highly used mode of digital entertainment. Brands are investing is video advertisements that are displayed on various online channels and OTT platforms. A popular healthcare brand has been displaying a video ad “Helping you stay safe, healthy and calm”. Similarly, another brand has an ongoing ad campaign with the tagline “Our Smiles keep us together”. At present, video advertisement marketing is on peak. Helplines: The outbreak of Covid-19 has confused people and at the same time they are concerned about their health. Even for other health issues apart from cold, fever and cough, people are afraid of leaving their homes and going to hospitals. Healthcare brands could set up helplines for people to reach out to in case of particular health
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Brand Value
issues. Any form of help that people get from any brand during this difficult time would be appreciated and remembered by the people. It is not necessary that all brands should take up measures to market their brand during this time. However, it seems to be a time that can be utilised well particularly for marketing purposes. The abovementioned methods of marketing may or may not suit each brand. These are mere marketing strategies that brands are following these days. One can also find creative ways to market their brand and stand out from the rest.
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| JANUARY 2021 | 29
Stempeutics Research A Leading Name in Stem Cell Therapeutics
F
ounded on the vision of ethically and scientifically exploring the full potential of stem cells for transforming medicine and offering new hope to millions of people, Stempeutics Research Pvt. Ltd. is striving ceaselessly on its path towards developing innovative stem cell products that address prominent unmet medical needs with an ‘India first, global next’ approach. Stempeutics, founded by the Manipal Group in 2006, is a late stage life science company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapeutics based on adult stem cells. Stempeutics’ strength lies in developing innovative stem cell based products by nurturing cutting edge research and clinical applications through dedicated efforts of its highly qualified team. Scientists working at Stempeutics have filed over 65 patents and have published over 75 peer reviewed international publications.
Stempeucel® is being developed for the treatment of Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI), Osteoarthritis (OA), Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU), Perianal Fistula (PAF) and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 pneumonia. In August 2020, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) granted the manufacturing and marketing approval of Stempeucel® product for the treatment of CLI. Stempeucel® thus became the first allogeneic cell therapy product to be approved for commercial use in India and the first stem cell product to be approved globally for CLI indication. Stempeucel® has been licensed to Cipla for CLI & DFU indication and to Alkem Labs for OA indication for the India territory. Stempeucel® has strong patent protection with 18 patent applications filed across the globe out of which 16 have been granted.
The company’s flagship product, Stempeucel® drug, is an on-demand, off-the-shelf product based on pooled, allogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) derived from bone marrow of healthy, adult volunteers.
The core Stempeucel® patent has been granted in USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, China, Singapore, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Philippines. Stempeucel® has been classified as an ATMP product by EMA and designated as an Orphan Drug for the treatment of CLI due to Buerger’s Disease.
Research conducted at Stempeutics has shown that pooling technology balances out variations observed with individual donor cells, resulting in a product with strong immunemodulatory properties, broader cytokine/growth factors array, longer lifespan, and consistent clinical outcomes.
Stempeutics’ proprietary pooling approach provides for an efficient manufacturing process thereby enabling the products to be made accessible to patients at an affordable cost. More than one million doses can be produced from a single set of master cell banks, which is unique in
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regenerative medicine, thus providing consistent product to patients. The proprietary technology also helps Stempeucel® extend the therapeutic potential of the drug across multiple disease categories. In Critical Limb Ischemia, Stempeucel® directly addresses the root cause of the disease by reducing inflammation, stimulating growth of collateral blood vessels, and repairing damaged muscle, thereby reducing the pain, healing the ulcers, and salvaging the affected limb. “Our company strongly believes in ‘Science Driving the Business’. While there are many companies around the world focusing on ‘Mesenchymal Stromal Cells’, the stemcell technology platform what we have adopted is unique and novel for the development of treatment for immunemediated and inflammatory diseases,” says Mr. BN Manohar – the MD and CEO of Stempeutics Research. Mr. Manohar has transformed Stempeutics – a life science start-up from R&D to commercialization stage with Global recognition. Under Manohar’s leadership Stempeutics has been recognized as India’s hottest startup by Business Today in 2008 and Karnataka Government bestowed “Emerging Company of the Year Award” in 2011 and 2013.
Stempeutics Research believes that India is already seen as the world’s low cost pharmacy as far as conventional therapies are concerned, and the recent economic and epidemiological changes present a lucrative opportunity for the Indian biotechnology industry to replicate this success in the field of novel and innovative healthcare therapies that include biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and regenerative medicine etc. “In 2021 Union Budget, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, is seeking measures that can help India transition from being a volume player to being a substantial value player in the global market. She has also sought ways to incentivize investments for start-ups and to support risk capital,” comments Mr. Manohar. To catch up to these significant opportunities, Stempeutics’ growth objectives for the next few years include:
www.insightscare.com
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MD and CEO
Stempeutics Research strongly believes in ‘Science Driving the Business’
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In 2017 Manohar was awarded “Biotechnologist of the Year” award by Wockhardt Foundation, India. He raised US$ 10M in 2009 by establishing strategic alliance with Cipla and US$ 13M in 2019 by establishing strategic alliance with Kemwell Biopharma.
BN Manohar
• Revenue generation in India and Exports: Commercialization of Stempeucel® cell therapy product for three key indications – Critical Limb Ischemia in 2021, Knee Osteoarthritis in 2021 and non-healing Diabetic Foot Ulcer in 2022 • Expansion to other countries where Indian regulatory approval is accepted. • Globalizing Stempeucel® product for a select indication. Cross key regulatory milestones in Japan (PMDA), EU (EMA) & US (FDA) for commercializing Stempeucel® product for the select indication. • Scaling Commercial manufacturing with 3D technology and make the product affordable in India.
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TrioxNano
Opening Windows to Inventions through Biological Nano Carriers
T
he world is busy trying to develop a vaccine for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Some have already developed one. Amidst all these, one bio-tech company chose to find a treatment to the virus rather than inventing a vaccine. Located in Israel, TrioxNano Ltd is known for its inventions particularly by developing programmable biologic nano carriers that can accurately deliver payloads to their target. Now, they are in the process of donning another feather in their cap through the novel drug delivery platform S.M.A.R.T (Stimuli Multi Adjusted Responsive Technology), based on the unique combination of mesoporous nano particles (MSNP) and DNA molecular machines (DNA MM). We, at InsightsCare, had the opportunity to learn more about the company and its pathbreaking discoveries. Please brief our audience about your company, its values, vision, and mission. The company's revolutionary technology, termed S.M.A.R.T, an acronym for Stimuli Multi Adjusted Responsive Technology, or simply put “Programmable medicine” is based on combinations of DNA coding, DNA molecular machines and mesoporous nanoparticles. SMART offers the potential to add programming to almost any approved medicine that may in turn increase its efficacy exponentially. To create S.M.A.R.T, TrioxNano had to first invent the modular hardware that would allow incorporation of many different medications, the software language which is based
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on DNA coding and the actual codes that can control the nano particle. The technology is expected to create a paradigm shift and highly impact human lives around the globe, transforming medicine from its current primitive analog state to a programmable digital modern era. TrioxNano is driven by a team of highly intelligent hard working, open minded scientists. All our staff have hands on experience of years in the industry. We are roughly divided to chemists and biologists that are integrators, able to bridge the gap between these two worlds. As an Israeli company we try to think out the box and “cut to chase” as much as possible basing our decision on sound science. What are the prominent services and products, that your company offers? It is estimated that more than 1000 approved medication can be delivered by this programmable system and at least 500 unique programs can be uploaded to them. This adds up to about half a million different options of unique treatments (in the case that only one code is uploaded per particle), in the case a combination of three codes is loaded and estimated 125 billion treatment options are created. Brief us about the featured person(s) and their journey in the pharma industry. D. Roy Farfara founded TrioxNano in 2015 with the intention to improve current medical treatments by benefiting from the vast potential of programmable DNA nanotechnology. As a surgeon he became aware of the limitation of surgery (trying to resect micro-meter size cancer cells with h centimeter size knives) and the limitations of nonspecific chemotherapies causing substantial toxicity, understanding that we are not using the right tools to achieve the goal of treating cancer effectively. www.insightscare.com
Dr. Roy Farfara Founder
www.insightscare.com
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Being an experienced leader, what is your opinion on the adaptation of newer technological developments to sustain business competency? I believe humans’ strongest trait is adaptation and as time passes, we become more flexible and welcome new technologies. The use of DNA/RNA for treatments of human disease received substantial backwind with the development of Pfizer and Moderna’s Covid19 Vaccine. TrioxNano is also using DNA though in a different manner for the treatments it developed to treat cancer and Covid19. Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring safety of your employees at the same time? We sustain full operative capacity in developing both our programmed cancer treatment and the treatment we develop to treat Covid19. We strictly adhere to all recommendations published by the ministry of health. Where do you envision your organization to be in the long run and what are your future goals? TrioxNano aspires to be the next Microsoft and IBM, on one hand creating “the operating system for computerized drug delivery” and on the other developing the hardware required to run the operation system and the code. We want to revolutionize the way patients are treated! To achieve this, TrioxNano’s technology offers a paradigm shift that will highly impact human lives, transforming medicine
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from an analog state to an exciting programmable digital modern era. Share your organization’s strategies to keep your position in the market. The company’s strategies include a hybrid business model where we develop our own drug candidate TXN770 (as a proof of concept) for the treatment of TNBC but are actively perusing to cooperate with others to incorporate their APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) into our modular computerized platform. What are TrioxNano’s the latest developments? T.N.B Triox Nano Biotics is a nanotechnology that binds viruses to each other creating large aggregates that inhibit the virus’ ability to infect the human cells due to the aggregate size. The advantage of the platform compared to other treatments is that it only requires one binding site per pathogen to exert its action compared to a medicine needed to block infection that requires higher than 95% blockage to be useful. The platform is modular and can be programmed to bind different pathogen epitopes. This technology has been tried on Covid19 cell-based assay and showed preliminary results showing substantial inhibition of infection. Currently we are optimizing it to improve the inhibition of infectivity of Covid19 by at least a factor of 20; once achieved we will start clinical trials. This is a treatment to the virus in contrast to the vaccine being currently developed.
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