Research and Development Center
We have a team of more than 200 physicians and scientists working in our R&D facility. Our scientists come from disciplines as diverse as analytical chemistry, formulation and development, phytochemistry, new drug discovery, novel drug delivery systems, pharmacognosy, preclinical toxicology and pharmacology, in-vitro mutagenicity, clinical pharmacology and agriculture. This vast and diverse background of the R&D team gives us unique insights into the world of herbs, helping us understand, discover and develop breakthrough products.
The use of advanced technology ensures accuracy, efficacy and safety of each and every product. For example, we use the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) method during herb testing. LCMS separates each molecule from a given extract and helps identify its chemical nature. This technology is used in the specific detection and potential identification of chemicals in the presence of other chemicals in a complex mixture. The advantage of using LCMS lies in the fact that it is an extremely accurate method of analyzing the total marker profile of a given extract. The technology helps our scientists to standardize all compounds in a given herbal extract before the product is developed.
In March 2001, we were granted a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certificate, issued by the Licensing Authority, Directorate of Indian Systems of Medicine, Bengaluru, India. Himalaya is the first Ayurvedic facility to get GMP certification in India. We have also been granted the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification. A GLP certification is granted to manufacturing companies that adhere to the toxicity guidelines in nonclinical safety studies. The certification is granted by the National Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Compliance Monitoring Authority, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Only 26 institutions in India have been granted this certificate, and Himalaya is the first herbal company to have joined ranks with these institutions.
Himalaya's R&D center is affiliated with one of India's leading universities, The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences in Bengaluru, and is recognized as a center for Research by the Government of India's Department of Science and Technology. We work closely with the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru to develop new therapeutic drugs, build a corpus of knowledge on herbs and protect endangered herbs and plants.
We have partnered with the Ras Al Khaima Medical Health & Science University, a leading university in the United Arab Emirates, to promote joint research collaboration in herbal medicine including clinical trials, joint conferences, faculty and student exchange programs, and joint research and publications.
The R&D center is a vital institution of higher learning. Several PhD students from universities across India conduct their research at our center under the supervision of Himalaya scientists. This is a great opportunity for us to engage with bright minds of the future and be inspired by their ideas and enthusiasm.