IIT Bombay Launches The State-Of-The-Art 10X GMP Facility For Academic Researches

The state-of-the-art 10X GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) facility at IIT Bombay is all set to expedite the translation of academic research into innovative medical products and bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and real-world impact. The new facility is the first-of-its-kind in India and will allow a seamless transition of concept to commercialization. By fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence, the facility is on its highway to redefine medical solutions, drive progress, and accelerate advancements in healthcare and biotechnology.

While the 10X GMP facility currently serves the biotech and healthcare domains, it is built for broader applications in the future. The versatility and wide spectrum of uses position it for promising growth and success across various industries in the future.

During the launch of the 10X GMP facility, Director of IIT Bombay, Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri,
emphasized the transformative potential of it and said, “The setting up of the 10X GMP Facility will be amongst the first of its kind in India and symbolizes IIT Bombay’s unwavering commitment to bridging the chasm between academic prowess and real-world impact. From cancer theragnostic agents to bioactive wound dressings for diabetic wounds, the facility will accelerate the development of diverse products for healthcare and environmental sustainability.”

The 10X GMP facility will enable the manufacturing of materials essential for human clinical trials,
including nanomaterials, tissue-engineered grafts, CAR-T constructs, and drug nanoparticles. It expedite the delivery of life-saving solutions to the market. It will also develop GMP-grade nanomaterials for pre-clinical testing of theragnostic agents, insulin patches, skin substitutes, wound dressings, and 3D disease models.

Dr. C.S. Pramesh, Director of the Tata Memorial Hospital and the Professor and Head of Thoracic Surgery at the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, was the Chief Guest of the launching event of the new facility. He remarked that the 10X GMP facility will bridge the gap of several years in the academia. He said, “The facility bridges the gap for several years in academia. Globally, biomedical human trials happen in academic centres, while in India much of the discovery part happens in the pharmaceutical industry, and I am hopeful that this facility changes this entire process on its head”.

He further added that while striving for the solutions, it should not be forgotten to overlook the quality of the product, and “We should strive to be solution provider for low- and middleincome countries”.

Mr. Raj Nair, the Alumnus (B.Tech., 1971, Metallurgical Engineering) and Chairman of Avalon Consulting, Germinait Solutions and AGR Knowledge Solutions, said that according to him, the greatest gift to the underprivileged is providing highly affordable breakthrough medical solutions since it is well documented that “one major illness like cancer, bypass surgery, etc., or a major accident, can send a lower middle class or poor family into abject penury. The 10X GMP facility has been set up to encourage brilliant researchers at IIT Bombay to aim for breakthroughs that are 10 times cheaper, better, or faster than all known treatments. I believe only that can move the needle for society”.