PM Modi virtually lays stone of centre of excellence at NIPER in Mohali

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone of the Centre of Excellence for Anti-Viral and Anti-Bacterial Drug Discovery and Development at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Mohali on Tuesday. A budget of Rs 100 crore has been sanctioned for the centre.

Post COVID-19 pandemic, the government had planned a roadmap with a focus on discovery and development of newer medication, early diagnosis, most importantly, prevention of viral and bacterial infections. The government is working to combat any Covid-19 like future challenges. In this pursuit and to bolster research infrastructure, the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers had entrusted the NIPER, Mohali, to establish a Centre of Excellence for Anti-Viral and Anti-Bacterial Drug Discovery and Development.

Prof Dulal Panda, Director, NIPER, said the centre of excellence (CoE) would work on discovering and development of new anti-bacterial and anti-viral drugs. He said the CoE would help in India’s transition from volume based to value based pharmaceutical powerhouse of the world.