TCG Lifesciences
Fast Forwarding Drug Discovery and Development

"Quality, safety, timely delivery and cost effectiveness for our clients,” are the core values that underpin the strong foundation of TCG Lifesciences, a leader in the CRO space. With an experience of almost two decades in contract research and drug discovery space, TCGLS has been providing high-end discovery, development, and analytical services to industries like pharmaceuticals, crop science, animal health, cosmeceuticals, neutraceuticals and performance materials. Operating from Kolkata since 2001, TCGLS also has a chemical manufacturing facility in Hyderabad.

Throwing light on TCGLS’ four main pillars, Swapan Bhattacharya, Managing Director and CEO at TCG Lifesciences, says that the company has always been committed to excellence and employing experts from the field of synthetic organic chemistry and biology. “The quality aspect is achieved by hiring the right set of people and giving them rigorous training.” As far as safety is concerned, TCGLS maintains a safe environment by carrying out frequent inspections and safety training for employees. Furthermore, the company ensures timely delivery of products by constantly keeping an eye on the entire program from start to end, gauging the progress. In case of any challenges, the clients are informed immediately and TCGLS proactively does problem solving in an interactive mode with the client. TCGLS has a geographically distributed team that takes care of client requirements across time zones. Finally, TCGLS offers flexible and cost-effective engagement models aligned with customer and project needs.

In a typical project, the client needs help in synthesizing a novel molecule or building block. In such cases, TCG receives the molecular structure of the final product from the client and designs a pathway to synthesize the compound. “The clients may or may not provide the pathway to synthesize the molecule; our scientists develop unique synthetic routes to provide best results,” says Aranapakam Venkatesan, Ph.D, a seasoned medicinal chemist who serves as Associate VP, Business Development and Client Liaison of TCGLS.

Further, when the molecule goes from the medicinal chemistry value chain to large-scale synthesis, the same synthetic route may not be suitable due to stringent quality restrictions or economic feasibility. Here, TCGLS chemists devise an alternative pathway to synthesize the compound which becomes the scale-up pathway toward chemical development. Eventually, the company also helps clients with manufacturing support especially when the drug requires adherence to FDA regulations for patient consumption. Thus, TCGLS serve as a “One Stop Solution” from early discovery to commercial manufacturing.

In another engagement model, TCGLS provides integrated discovery programs whereby the client gives a particular biological target to TCGLS, who then set up the assay and validate it. Once the biological aspect is taken care of, the company’s chemists come into action by designing and synthesizing the target molecule. Based on the structure-activity relationship, TCGLS often provides alternative designs to advance such “lead” molecules into the drug discovery value chain.

TCGLS’s deep expertise is evident from its numerous client success stories. For example, in the integrated drug discovery space, TCGLS’ scientists have delivered five development drug candidates in the field of Oncology, Metabolic Disorder and Pain therapeutics areas and co-authored more than 83 U.S. patent applications and publications. Our scientists routinely solve complex and challenging chemical transformation reactions. Problem solving is “fun” for our scientists and they take pride in it, explains Aranapakam. He proudly explains that TCG takes every challenge to its advantage and handles every project, big or small, with total dedication.

Talking about the future plans of the company, Bhattacharya, highlights that TCGLS is in an “expansion mode.” Besides planning for chemistry, biology and analytical lab expansions, TCGLS is planning for the U.S. FDA approval for its manufacturing facility in Hyderabad and getting AAALAC certification for its animal vivarium in India.