Tech Mahindra, Reagene to file patent for coronavirus attacking molecule

IT company Tech Mahindra is in the process of filing a patent, along with Reagene Biosciences, for a drug molecule that can potentially attack coronavirus, according to a senior company official.

Tech Mahindra Global Head (Makers Lab) Nikhil Malhotra told PTI that the company along with its partner is applying for patenting on which further testing will be done.

Markers Lab is the research and development arm of Tech Mahindra.

"We have found a molecule that can potentially attack coronavirus. We have applied for a joint patent and cannot reveal the name of the molecule unless the patent process is completed," Malhotra said.

Tech Mahindra and Reagene Biosciences are in the research process. Makers Lab started the computational modelling analysis of the coronavirus. Based on computational docking and modelling studies, Tech Mahindra and its partner shortlisted 10 drug molecule from a list of 8,000 FDA-approved drugs.

"We used technology to filter these 10 drugs. These were tested with our partners in Bengaluru. Then they were brought down to three.

"Then, we created a 3D lung where we tested and found one molecule work as per our research. We have done computational analysis and our partners have done clinical analysis," Malhotra said.

He said the research is also to ready technology for future drug discovery by using computational technologies.

"There are more animal studies needed but we believe this technique can actually reduce the drug discovery mechanism in biological computation. We are in the process of conducting more studies to verify the efficacy of the same," Malhotra said.

There are several drugs under trial and worldover, people are now dependent only on vaccines for preventing themselves from fatal coronavirus.

According to official data, India now has over 98,000 active cases and daily casualties due to COVID-19 crossed 3,600 on April 29.

The Indian government has allowed use of drugs like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, depending on the severity of coronavirus infection in the patient.

People have been posting on social media about the shortage of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab in the country.

The shortage of Tocilizumab can be assessed from the fact that the centre could give only 150 doses of Tocilizumab injection to the densely populated state of Uttar Pradesh.

Malhotra said Makers Lab platform, which uses artificial intelligence and other computational technology, is reducing time for discovery of drugs.