Biobanks: India’s Next Medical Frontier

Biobanks are set to revolutionize medical research by providing a platform to simulate and test biopharma products and therapies before human trials. While the U.S. and Europe lead the way in establishing disease-focused biobanks, India is beginning to explore this concept.

Sapien Biosciences, in collaboration with Apollo Hospitals, has taken a pioneering step by setting up a cancer biobank. However, biobanks are long-term projects requiring extensive patient consent to use samples for research.

India's Potential in Biobank Development

India can potentially lead the biobank revolution due to its diverse population. Many testing labs in India process millions of patient samples, which are typically discarded after generating test reports. However, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released guidelines for the ethical use of leftover de-identified or anonymous samples for commercial purposes. This provides an opportunity for testing labs to establish bio-repositories, which could evolve into biobanks with patient sample cohorts for various diseases.

Ecosystem for Molecular-Grade Sample Preservation and Biobank Platform

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, India lacked the infrastructure for molecular-grade sample storage, processing, and data annotation. In response to the pandemic, India developed a comprehensive value chain for the molecular transport and storage of DNA, RNA, tissues, cells,…