K Satish Reddy, Chairman Dr Reddy’s Laboratories
India should lead the world in promoting alternatives to animal testing in drug discovery and framing non-animal methodologies, K Satish Reddy, Chairman Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
He was speaking at a press-conference to announce the findings of a report on Non-Animal Methodologies (NAMs) along with Alokparna Sengupta, Managing Director, Humane World for Animals India, Sarfaraz K Niazi, Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois, Chancellor, Chicago University, Chicago, Illinois, USA and others.
Reddy said drug-discovery was a journey with new methodologies from time to time. Indian regulatory frame work should also be prepared in NAMs. The CDSCO has already began the journey and infrastructure and required staffing could be done going forward, he added.
Citing the findings of the report, Alokparna Sengupta, Managing Director, Humane World for Animals India said a central non-animal methodology agency and validation centre with relevant data base should be established. It also recommended a multi-stakeholder consortium for collaboration from all stakeholders, setting up a centres of excellence for infrastructure, training and skilling.
Deepak Sapra, CEO-API & Services, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories major drug-makers in India including Dr Reddy’s were keen on adopting NAMs and is working along with other players includking Biocon, Cipla and Sun Pharma.
New technologies which are available now including organoids, computational tools, cardiac and liver models would help in the journey towards NAMs., he said adding: “Dr Reddy’s is actively integrating NAMs in the processes and will further push them,’’ he said.
According to Niazi, generics, biologicals and biosimilars would not lead any animal testing. The adoption of NAMs would reduce cost of drug-development and would also save time, he said.
However, animal testing cannot be avoided for chemical drugs and other new molecules at the moment and ways and means should be explored on this front..
Published on February 5, 2026
