Thesis and Guide details:
Details of CSIR Fellowship/ Associateship held, if any or from other sources/ agencies.
Significant foreign assignments:
(a) Significant contributions to science and/ or technology development by the nominee
based on the work done in India during most part of last 5 years:
Dr. Reddy’s research group at NCL focuses mainly on total synthesis of biologically active
compounds and medicinal chemistry with an ultimate aim of discovering drugs, which are of
the immediate social importance and relevance. In addition, identifying small molecules for
crop protection is also of significant interest to this group. Reddy’s group has accomplished
the synthesis of 20 natural products which include cell-adhesion inhibitors, antibacterial, antiinflammatory,
anti-cancer agents and insect repellents. In the medicinal chemistry front,
several programs have been initiated with collaborations from academia and industry. In
particular, significant progress has been made using a new concept called “Silicon-switch
approach”. The research work conducted over the last five years have been published in the
form of 30 articles in reputed journals and resulted in 24 patent filings. The highlights of the
work done in the last 5 years are briefly summarized below….
Discovery of an anti-diabetic molecule which is ready for out-licensing
Diabetes is a very serious global health problem that has reached epidemic proportions in
both developed and developing countries over the last two decades. This is a very serious
concern in India, in particular. According to one of the recent reports, it was predicted that by
2030, diabetes may affect up to 8 crore individuals in India alone. Hence, there is now
enormous demand for new drugs with new mechanisms.
About three years ago, Dr. D. S. Reddy’s group at NCL and Shantani Proteome Ltd., signed
an MOU to discover novel drugs for diabetes treatment with an understanding that they
share the out-come of the research 50:50 each. In a short time, they have identified molecule
(Markush structure is shown below) with novel mechanism and excellent data (see figures
below). The identified compound, HIT1007 showed significant effects of glucose
management in diabetic mice (db/db) in a dose-dependent manner. It also showed additional
benefits like reduction triglyceride (TG) and increase in beta cell mass which is responsible
for insulin production. A patent was filed with co-inventorship between Shantani and NCL (WO/2015/015519).
Shantani has now showed interest in buying the NCL share of 50% and would like to take it
forward for further development (Please see letter to NCL director given as Annexure-I).
Identified & Validated
New Drug Target
Initial Lead Identified
(Co-invented)
Shantani would like to buy
NCL portion & take forward
Additional benefits
6
This is one of the major successful achievements in Academia-Industry collaboration in
Indian drug discovery. By looking at current low-level efforts on new drug discovery by
pharma industry, academic groups need to take a more proactive role this field, more
particularly, in the Indian context.
Access to enantiopure pheromones towards crop protection
Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and any technology towards increasing
the yield and quality of crops is immense importance, not only for the farmers themselves but
for the economy as a whole. As part of Dr. Reddy’s research interests towards crop
protection, recently his group has synthesized an optically pure sex pheromone that can be
used to control mealybug population in farms, vineyards, green houses, etc.
(b) Impact of the contributions in the field concerned:
majority of Dr. Reddy’s research work is directly related to the benefits to the society. In the
area of health sector, his efforts resulted in discovering new molecules which are potentially
useful in treating diabetes and various infectious diseases. LIK066 discovered during his stay
in pharma industry is currently in Phase-II human clinical trials and is expected to be
marketed in the next 4-5 years. If this happens, billions of diabetic patients will be benefited
across the globe. The molecule discovered at NCL in collaboration with Shantani biotech
has shown excellent results in diabetic animal models. The company has now showed
interest in buying this compound from NCL and taking it forward for further development. In
another project, in collaboration with industry partner Incozen therapeutics, funded by DBTBIRAC,
Dr. Reddy’s group identified antibacterial compounds which can be potentially used
for treating brain infections. These are perfect examples of Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
programs which gave results in a very short time. They can be used as model in Indian
industry-academia collaboration. Dr. Reddy has established a few other collaborations with other companies like Diachii-Sankyo and Panacea which are going to result in interesting
outcomes in the near future. The S‐(+)-pheromone synthesized in his research group has
shown very interesting results in vineyard field trials at two geographically different locations
(in the USA and New Zealand) which can be used for the crop protection. Dr. Reddy’s group
at NCL has signed an MTA with TATA Rallis, India Ltd., which is currently conducting the
field trials in Nasik, Maharashtra for this product. If these trials are successful in India, it can
be used for controlling mealybugs on grape fields without using harmful pesticides.
Places where work of last 5 years has been referred/ cited in Books, Reviews:
Names of the industries in which the technology (ies) has (have) been used :
The achievements already been recognised by Awards by any learned body:
The Awardee a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy/Indian Academy of Sciences/National
Academy of Sciences/Others:
The Awardee delivered invited lecture(s) in India/abroad and/or chaired any scientific
Internatiional Conference Symposium:
List of Awardee's 10 most significant publications.
List of Awardee's 5 most significant publications during the last 5 years
List of Awardee's 5 most significant publications from out of work done in India
during the last five years:
Complete list of publications in standard refereed journals:
Complete list of publications with foreign collaborators (indicating your status
as author):
List of papers published in Conferences /Symposia/ Seminars, etc:
List of the most outstanding Technical Reports/ Review Articles:
Statement regarding collaboration with scientists abroad:
Prof. Jocelyn G. Millar, Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside CA
92521, USA: Prof. Millar is a well-known entomologist. The synthesized sex pheromones
were evaluated in California vineyards with the help of Millar’s group.
Dr. Andrew Twidle, The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd, Lincoln 7608,
New Zealand. The synthesized sex pheromones were evaluated in New Zealand vineyards
with the help of Twidle’s group.
Prof. John Macmillan, Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. Collaboration work is in one of the antibacterial project on Salmonella enterica (food poisoning bacteria). His major role is on biological screening of the
synthesized compounds.
Total number of patents granted in last five years.
Details of Books published: