New Drug Discovery (NDD)

Orchid’s drug discovery activities are channeled through two exclusive subsidiaries, Orchid Research Laboratories in Chennai and Bexel Pharmaceuticals Inc. in the US.


Orchid Research Laboratories Limited, Chennai

Orchid's modern New Drug Discovery (NDD) centre comprises independent laboratories for medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry, molecular modeling, pharmacology & pharmacokinetics and molecular biology. Projects in the area of anti-infectives and pain management drugs are already underway.

Orchid's NDD program has synthesised and screened several hundred compounds in the anti-infectives and pain management areas. Lead molecules have been identified in these two therapeutic areas based on confirmatory microbiological and pharmacological studies. Pre-formulation and other studies are in progress for further lead optimisation, preparatory to formal toxicity studies.

Orchid’s Medicinal chemistry laboratories are equipped to synthesise simple to complex molecules from milligram to kilogram quantities. Medicinal chemistry division has well trained scientists who perform design and synthesis of novel molecules in various therapeutic areas such as anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and metabolic disorders. The medicinal chemistry group interacts with the drug design group to synthesise novel second generation patentable molecules that are inspired by natural products or molecules that are successfully marketed in these therapeutic areas.

Bexel Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA

Orchid’s drug discovery subsidiary in the US, Bexel Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BPI) is working on novel compounds in the areas of diabetes, inflammation, obesity, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular and auto-immune diseases. Bexel has progressed well on the development of a novel anti-diabetes lead (BLX-1002) with a unique anti-weight gain property.

Orchid and its discovery subsidiary in the US are engaged in a synergistic research endeavour that combines the chemistry, molecular modelling and pre-clinical capabilities of Orchid and Bexel's innovative structure design and biological experimentation to yield a richer pipeline of potential new drugs.