New Delhi: Drug major Piramal Healthcare is looking to initiate in India phase-I clinical trials of a drug aimed at curing diabetes, while similar steps are being taken up for two more new chemical entities (NCEs) meant for treating infectious and inflammatory diseases.

The company recently got approval of DCGI for initiating phase-I clinical trials in India for its new diabetic drug, which is already being tested in the Netherlands.

“Currently, we are in the process of finalising the ethical issues before initiating the trials in India,” Piramal Life Sciences Ltd Vice Chairperson Swati A. Piramal said adding that the company which has global patents for 14 new chemical entities, is already in various stages of clinical trials for eight molecules.

“In the next quarter, two more are coming up for the clinical trials,” Piramal added.

“Out of these two NCEs which would be entering into the phase I clinical trials, one would be in area of infectious disease and other would be for inflammatory diseases,” she said.

The phase-I clinical trial is the first stage of testing efficacy and side effects of NCEs on humans after animal testing.

Piramal Healthcare’s other lead cancer molecule P276 in therapeutic areas of neck and head cancer has already got into phase-II clinical trials and its other molecule in therapeutic area of dermatology has completed phase-II.