Indian scientist appointed global head of Public Heath Discovery at Johnson and Johnson

CHANDIGARH: Former director at the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) based in Chandigarh, Dr Anil Koul, has been appointed the vice president and head of Discovery, Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health (GPH) at global multinational Johnson and Johnson.

He is one of the few scientists to be assigned this role in which he will oversee major research and development activities and help drive breakthroughs and innovations in new research areas.

Dr Koul will oversee a multi-disciplinary research team with a focus on the discovery of small and large molecules to facilitate the cure of severe infectious diseases as well as also diseases of global heath concern like tuberculosis, malaria etc, which are often neglected from innovation, investment and new drug discovery perspectives.

With more than 18 years of experience in pharmaceutical drug research, Dr Koul was one of the key scientists involved in discovery of Bedaquiline - a new drug for treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Bedaquiline is currently in WHO’s list of essential medicines and recognised as major orphan disease innovation of last decade and awarded with Prix Galien award in 2016. Dr Koul was awarded with a Johnson Medal and recently Sun Pharma Award by India’s honourable heath minister for his contributions to bedaquiline.

In 2016, government of India appointed Dr Koul as director of India premier research institution IMTECH, a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research based in Chandigarh.

On the appointment of Dr Koul, the current officiating director IMTECH, Dr Manoj Raje said, “This shows that India’s scientists and research is in demand by topmost people in the world. I believe it shall hopefully bring in lot of value to area of public heath and neglected diseases - things critical from India’s standpoint”.