Dr Jitendra Verma, MD, Lifecare Innovations receiving 'Haryana Vighyan Ratna' award from chief minister, M L Khattar on May 22, 2015.
The managing director of Lifecare Innovations, Dr Jitendra N Verma, was on May 22, 2015 conferred with the "Haryana Vigyan Ratna" for his outstanding contributions in lifesciences by the state's Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal Khattar in an award function in Chandigarh.
Dr Verma's career in science as an academician, scientist and industrialist spans over four decades. As founder of the Gurgaon-based Lifecare Innovations which was incorporated in the year 2000, he pioneered development of NDDS based Liposomal and Nano-Drugs and is a leader in Liposome Technology applications for drugs, diagnostics and vaccines. He developed and commercialized India's first Liposomal product and world's only Liposomal diagnostic - Liposome agglutination test for Syphilis.
Speaking with BioSpectrum, Dr Verma expressed his happiness at being repeatedly recongnized by various state governments and now Haryana. He appreciated and thanked Mr ML Khattar for bestowing the state's scientific honor on him.
He contributed to Asia's first and world's best antifungal drug FUNGISOME, a Liposomal Amphotericin B. Working on malaria vaccine, Dr Verma was first to report that Liposomal vaccines elicit cellular immune response necessary for protective immunity. He developed five new drugs and three new diagnostics to take from lab-bench to patient care. He is presently developing Liposomal and Nano-Drugs for the treatment of Leishmaniasis, Fungal infections, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Cancer.
Keenly involved in translational research for taking benefits of Science & Technology by applications in everyday life, Dr Verma has a number of publications, reviews and patents to his credit. He is recipient of the title of Vigyan Ratna from State Governments of UP and Haryana, Scientist of the Year from Gyan Chand Jain Memorial Trust, DST- Lockheed Martin (USA) Gold Medal, Technium Challenge Award from Welsh Assembly Government UK, recognition from National Innovation Foundation & ICMR besides several other awards & honors.
Dr Verma is acclaimed for promotion of R&D and commercializing their outcome by industry-academia interactions and public-private partnerships. In addition to basic research in Life-Sciences and product design, development and manufacture for healthcare, Dr Verma has been working on Bio-Entrepreneurship Promotion, development of regulatory guidelines for Medical Diagnostics, and disseminating knowledge about safe medicines.
Having earned his masters degree fom Allahabad University and PhD from PGIMER, Chandigarh, he engaged in medical research at the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Georgetown University in USA. He was Senior Associate of National Research Council of US National Academy of Science at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in USA.
