India currently stands 3^rd as far as HIV population go. The number is roughly 2.4 million at the moment and it can only mount if proper care is not taken. The factors, which influence the Indian scenario, are the size, behavior & disease burden of high risk groups, their interaction with bridge population, sexual network & migration and mobility of a large section of population. Beside these factors the geographical diversity and high rate of illiteracy also enhanced the growth of HIV here.

In the year 1987 a National AIDS Control Program was started to co-ordinate national responses regarding Aids. Its activities covered surveillance, blood screening and health education. During the earlier part of the 90’s, the infection started rising at an alarming rate and as a result Government set up NACO (National Aids Control Organization) to supervise the formulation of policies, prevention work and control, programs related to HIV & AIDS. This plan established the technical basis for program management and also set up State Aids bodies in India. In 2001 national Aids Prevention & Control policies were adopted and the then Indian Prime Minister Mr. Vajpayee also addressed the parliament by referring about HIV/Aids as one of the biggest danger in the country.

But inspite of all these steps, India is still a hugely HIV prone country, as 2006 UNAIDS estimated that there were 5.6 million people living with HIV in India. Moreover majority of state shows a poor picture regarding HIV, which is not a positive sign. So immediately a huge consciousness is required among the people of India to protect them from this grave danger of HIV/Aids.

India has always been renown as a destination for the best in medicine at a competitive price when compared to other places. Not so anymore, as more and more foreign firms like Itero, enter into partnership with Indian companies with an eye on contracts and future profits. The Indian doctors are one of the best the world over and their reputation is well deserved. It is not just the doctors but the medical research firms that are equally excellent, it is no wonder that many foreign firms, especially in the field of biotechnology are making a beeline to this country.

Itero is currently located in California and has just entered into a partnership with the Indian firm Biological E. Their partnership is more or less based on providing the equitable financial assistance to joint research projects and to commercialize it in India as well as the world over. Naturally under this agreement, Itero retains the right to market such products in the United States, Japan and Europe while Biological E retains the right to do the same in the other countries, read Australiasia.В  Itero will provide the required funding for the development cycle where as Biological E will do so for the manufacturing part.

According to Dr. Bryan Lawli, the chief executive officer of Itero, they had settled upon Biological E after a very exhaustive search. It was their expertise in biologics manufacturing and commercialization that settled the deal for them. Taking into account the operational experience that Biological E has both in India as well as the United States, Bryan Lawlis feels that the company as a whole would stand to benefit from such a partnership and that one can hope for great things to happen, here and overseas as a result of this.

В