The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli has joined hands with AstraZeneca India to broaden clinical trial capacities beyond metropolitan areas, aiming to boost India's clinical research and its presence in global trials.
This partnership seeks to develop a trained workforce and prepare inspection-ready clinical trial sites across 25 emerging research locations throughout India.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Manoj Joshi, Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
The collaboration supports the Biopharma SHAKTI initiative by the Government of India, which targets establishing 1,000 clinical trial sites nationwide to strengthen the biopharma ecosystem.
The agreement starts with adopting 25 clinical trial sites to evaluate their capabilities, provide focused training and mentoring, and enhance documentation and support related to ethics, safety, and trial feasibility.
The government will offer guidance and endorsement to align this initiative with national clinical research priorities.
AstraZeneca India will lend its clinical development expertise to design and implement the programme, engage with Indian and global experts, and support the selected sites through training, workshops, governance, and readiness assessments.
Secretary Manoj Joshi highlighted that strengthening clinical trials beyond major metros will expand skilled professionals and research-ready sites across India, directly advancing Biopharma SHAKTI's goals.
NIPER Raebareli Director Shubhini Saraf stated that the Centre of Excellence will provide a dedicated platform for structured training and certification in clinical research.
By combining academic and industry knowledge, NIPER Raebareli aims to develop a skilled workforce and establish a replicable model for other regions and therapeutic areas.
Praveen Rao Akkinepally, AstraZeneca Pharma India's Country President and Managing Director, emphasised that clinical research is vital for delivering innovative medicines and that the collaboration aims to strengthen India's research capacity and trial participation.
The government ministry noted that this scalable national model could extend to more locations and therapeutic fields beyond oncology after a successful proof-of-concept phase.
