THE blue-blooded horseshoe crab found
along the Orissa coast is set to change
the face of the Indian pharmaceutical
industry. These crabs, termed 'living
fossils' because of their primitivity, produce a substance called lysate, which is
used to establish the safety of a wide
range of drugs and medical devices by
detecting pyrogen, a substance which
when introduced into the blood, produces fever. Deepak Bhattacharya, a
Bhuvaneshwar-based scientist has successfully produced and demonstrated
the testing technique at a national
pharmaceutical congress held at
Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh,
recently.
The pharmaceutical industries in
the West have long relied on the lysate tests, popularly known as Lai tests, but
they are yet to catch on in India
because of lack of technology. The
lysate tests are an alternative to traditional rabbit pyrogen tests which have
long been discarded in countries like
the US. The crabs are not killed even
after tapping blood four or five times.
The Orissa coast is only one of the five
places in the world where horseshoe
crabs are found and hence, they offer
exciting commercial prospects.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.