CSIR bone health drug to be developed in US

CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute’s (CDRI) osteoporosis drug will be the first drug of the institute to be used by patients in the US.

CDRI has given the licence of its patented drug Caviunin Scaffold to Aveta Biomics, which is a leader in developing the next generation of botanical drugs for its development and commercialisation.

Caviunin Scaffold, launched in 2015, has broad applications for bone health that includes its efficacy in treating osteoporosis, fracture healing, osteoarthritis and other endocrinological conditions.

The drug has dual benefits as it helps both in bone formation and also bone resorption (break down the tissues in bones).

“Scaffold has a targetted action that prevents bone breakdown, stimulates new bone formation and reduces bone clinical markers. The licence to Aveta Biomics is a testament to the calibre of our innovative science and demonstrates the value of the strong research,” said principal scientist Ritu Trivedi, who led the osteoporosis drug research.

Professor Tapas Kundu, Director, CSIR-CDRI, said, “We joined hands with Aveta Biomics given their track record of obtaining four clinical Investigational New Drugs (INDs) applications of their botanical drugs and for several cancer indications from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We expect, therefore, translation of CDRI’s research into real drugs for people living with bone-related conditions not only in India, but abroad also.”

Adding to it, Parag G Mehta, CEO, Aveta Biomics, said, “Osteoporosis is a chronic condition requiring life-long treatment. Approved treatment duration of the currently available drugs ranges from one-to-five years (depending on the drug) due to waning efficacy and increased risk of adverse events. Caviunin-based therapeutic has a huge potential to change the standard of care for osteoporosis.”