Dabur Research Foundation (DRF), the 29-year-old, not-for-profit organization that spearheads the research activities of the Dabur group, may soon become a standalone drug discovery firm to undertake international collaborative research programmes for the development of patented medicines. The bifurcation move comes close on the heels of the sale of Dabur Pharma to German healthcare major Fresenius SE.

“All DRF scientists engaged in generic (off-patent) oncology drug development business have been shifted to Dabur Pharma. DRF will now focus purely on drug discovery programmes,” DRF Chairman Anand Burman said. He declined to divulge the details of the ongoing collaborative research programmes due to confidentiality clauses, but hinted that at least one research is in the area of oncology.

According to him, continuing drug research, even after selling off their drug company, makes sense as DRF has been fashioned as an independent research entity.

While over 100 scientists moved out of DRF to be part of the research team of Dabur Pharma, majority of other scientists conducting research in areas like Ayurveda, Phytopharma, biotechnology, personal care products and food were shifted from DRF to Dabur India’s in-house research wing. DRF is now left with its drug discovery scientists and pursues at least three drug discovery programmes in collaboration with foreign universities and companies.

Though the Dabur Pharma website lists out the contract research services offered by DRF, Burman said the promoters are yet to take a final view on the future research programmes of DRF.

Fresenius, which closed Dabur acquisition on August 11, has acquired the rights for all existing products that have come out of DRF. “All discoveries that have been commercialized have gone to Fresenius, besides the patented nanotechnology-based drug delivery system and the entire team of scientists engaged in generic drug discovery research at DRF. Fresenius will continue at the same location for a short period,” Burman said.