Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on October 18 said India has developed its first indigenously discovered antibiotic Nafithromycin, which is effective against resistant respiratory infections, particularly useful for cancer patients and poorly controlled diabetics. According to the minister, the antibiotic is the first molecule entirely conceptualised, developed and clinically validated in India, representing a significant leap toward self-reliance in the pharmaceutical sector.
Jitendra also mentioned that India has already sequenced over 10,000 human genomes and aims to scale this up to one million. The gene therapy trial, he added, recorded a 60–70 per cent correction rate with zero bleeding episodes, representing a milestone in India’s medical research landscape. The findings have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, underscoring India’s growing leadership in advanced biomedical innovation.
Jitendra said the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is a major step in this direction, with a total outlay of Rs 50,000 crore over five years, of which Rs 36,000 crore will come from non-government sources.
Inaugurating the three-day Medical Workshop on “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Multi-Omics Data Integration and Analysis”, Dr. Singh said that India must develop a self-sustainable ecosystem to drive its scientific and research growth. He stated that most nations that have achieved global recognition in science and innovation have done so through self-sustaining, innovation-driven models with extensive engagement of the private sector.
