A lack of focus on the CRO side changed the character of Advinus.
Advinus needed $20 million to move into further studies
but it was short of money.”.
Advinus started with two distinct units-
a contract research organization(CRO), which did toxicity and other studies for pharmaceutical and agri businesses;
For instance, around 2011, Advinus had an anti-diabetes molecule where it had
found a new mode of action and the initial data showed promise.
Even Ratan N Tata,
chairman emeritus who was personally involved in setting up Advinus in 2005, is learnt to have shown“fair
amount of patience” until he was left with little.
Even while doing services, says Barbhaiya, Advinus was the first Indian company to develop“comprehensive
capability to do all preclinical work for a molecule to make it IND-ready” and in record time of six to seven months.
The group had rallied around the idea, pooled in resources from Rallis
India,‘cleverly' worked out a new company structure in Advinus and hoped its cutting-edge tech
and processes would invigorate a few group companies, especially Tata Chemicals.