Punjab deputy CM offers Biocon for cancer, diabetes treatment

Development took place in meeting with Kiran Mazumdar at Biocon Headquarter in Bangalore

Punjab Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today offered to enter into joint ventures with Biocon Limited for cancer and diabetes treatment following an interest shown by Biocon Limited head Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw in partnering with Punjab to introduce effective interventions at the grass root level in the State.

The development took place in an meeting with Kiran Mazumdar at Biocon Headquarter in Bangalore.

The Deputy chief minister made this offer after Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw highlighted the need to tackle cancer and diabetes through a three pronged approach of educating the people about the disease, making patients aware of their exact condition and effective intervention during a thirty minute presentation at the Biocon headquarter here.

Sukhbir Singh Badal also invited the Biocon chief to invest in the Medicity at Mullanpur to which she agreed. Ms Shaw on her part said her company would also look into investing in manufacturing in Punjab.

Earlier during her presentation Ms Shaw emphasized that Biocon had developed Insugen which was its entry point as far as diabetes treatment was concerned. She said the price of this drug had come down by four times after Biocon entered this market.

Sukhbir Badal in his remarks noted that cancer treatment was at the top of the agenda of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and that the State government was ready to partner with Biocon for treatment in this regard. He asked Biocon to come up with a working model for cancer treatment as well as diabetes care. Shaw on her part said the company had a model for diabetes care under which space could be given to entrepreneurs in primary health care centres where they could screen patients and then suggest interventions.