Rangia (Assam), Sep 20 (PTI) A Central Animal Facility and In vitro Drug Testing Facility at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) was inaugurated by Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar in Assam's Kamrup district on Friday.

"This is a significant national asset that reinforces our commitment to pharmaceutical research and innovation, a vital initiative launched under the Science and Technology Intervention in North Eastern Region (STINER) programme," the MoS for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) said on the occasion.

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The state-of-the-art facility will enhance our capabilities in drug discovery and development, providing essential resources for rigorous testing and evaluation in North East, Majumdar said.

"By integrating these facilities, we aim to strengthen our contributions to the field of pharmaceuticals and support the development of safe and effective treatments," he said.

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It addresses a critical gap in research capabilities — providing the necessary infrastructure to test the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines derived from indigenous medicinal plants of the North East region, the Union minister said.

NIPER Guwahati had received Rs 17.5 crore under the STINER programme of the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) to establish the animal breeding and GLP Accredited Biological Screening and Toxicology Centre with the latest equipment required for drug discovery and development.

The Central Animal Facility and in vitro Drug Testing Facility are covered under this centre.

NIPER director USN Murty said the mission of this centre is to cater to high-quality laboratory animals for drug discovery and provide state-of-the-art facilities to the pharmaceutical industry and other research organisations.

It will also evaluate the efficacy, safety, toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies of molecules or traditional medicines from the herbal or synthetic origin, and impart training through conducting skill development programmes in small animal handling and maintenance to meet pharma industry needs, Murty added.

The Central Animal Facility at NIPER Guwahati will be utilised by research and development organisations involved in drug discovery, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, drug discovery start-up industries, pharma and biotech industries, and Contract Research Organisations on a service basis.

NIPER-Guwahati functions under the aegis Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India, as a Centre of Excellence in imparting higher education, research, and development in pharmaceutical sciences.

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