Thirty Years of Indian Drug Discovery and Development: Technology Profiles of 1,095 Ongoing and Past Projects
Background: A long-term review of Indian companies’ drug research
A review of drug discovery and development activity by Indian companies from the mid-1990s through 2025 catalogued 1,095 projects and research substances. Small molecules made up the largest share, but the review also included biologics and gene therapies, reflecting a broadening mix of technologies in Indian drug research.
Published in ChemMedChem, the review covered 195 major pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and startups. By the paper’s count, 128 companies were actively conducting research; the projects were divided into 462 ongoing and 633 past projects. Thus, not all 1,095 represent projects currently in development. The review focused on the historical composition of companies and projects, rather than on testing treatment efficacy in patients.
Key findings: From small molecules to antibodies and gene therapies
Small molecules accounted for the largest category, with 811 projects, followed by 189 novel biologics and 95 gene therapies. Within the small-molecule category, 684 were new chemical entities. The remaining projects included 56 involving prodrugs, salts, or formulations; 53 drug-repurposing efforts seeking new uses for existing drugs; and 18 in other categories. The review’s scope was broader than the discovery of new chemical entities alone.
Among biologics, 92 projects involved monoclonal antibodies or antibody fragments. The review counted 22 projects involving antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), 40 involving various proteins, including fusion proteins, 10 involving enzymes, and 25 in other categories. By classifying antibodies and fragments separately from ADCs, the review also showed the composition within the antibody-related group.
The 95 projects classified by the review as gene therapy included 24 gene-silencing approaches, 21 gene-delivery approaches, 7 genome-editing projects, and 3 efforts to regulate messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing. Approaches based on T cells or natural killer (NK) cells genetically modified using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology accounted for 40 projects. The abstract does not identify the specific platforms used for genome editing or gene silencing.
By development stage, the review counted 618 early discovery projects, 276 preclinical projects, 98 in Phase 1, 63 in Phase 2, 19 in Phase 3, and 21 approved drugs or therapies. These figures describe the distribution across stages; dividing counts from different stages cannot establish transition rates for the same projects or clinical success rates.
Meaning and outlook: A map of technological diversification, with limits
The author explained that tracking companies and projects over time showed changes and growing diversity in Indian drug discovery. The review’s value lies in examining the small-molecule research base alongside antibodies, proteins, and gene therapies.
The available information is limited to bibliographic details and the abstract. It does not establish how quickly diversification accelerated after a particular year, which companies or policies drove the changes, or why individual projects were discontinued or succeeded. The abstract also does not break down ongoing and past projects by technology or development stage. The 21 approvals should not be interpreted as an approval probability for the full set of projects. Assessing the development prospects of individual assets requires additional review of their project histories and current status.
The study scope and detailed counts are available in the paper abstract indexed by Europe PMC.
A comprehensive review and analysis of drug discovery efforts at Indian companies between the mid-1990s and 2025 reveals 1095 ongoing (462) or past (633) projects and molecules under investigation at 195 major pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and start-up companies, of which 128 are currently actively pursuing research. They consist mainly of small molecules (811), followed by novel biologics (189) and gene therapies (95), and cover all stages from early discovery (618), preclinical (276), and clinical development phases (Phase 1: 98; Phase 2: 63; Phase 3: 19) up to approved drugs and treatments (21). Small molecules are dominated by new chemical entities (684), followed by prodrugs, salts, and formulations (56), repurposed drugs (53), and others (18). Biologics consist largely of monoclonal antibodies or fragments (92), antibody-drug conjugates (22), various (fusion) proteins (40), enzymes (10), and others (25). Gene therapies use gene silencing (24), gene transfer (21), genome editing (7), modulation of mRNA splicing (3), and genetically modified cells based on chimeric antigen receptor technology using T and NK cells (40). Tracking companies and projects over time illustrates the dynamics and increasing diversification of drug discovery activities in India.
For researchers and business development teams considering drug co-development or in-licensing with Indian companies, this review can serve as a starting point for choosing areas to explore. Comparing the detailed mix of small molecules, antibodies, proteins, and gene therapies may help define the scope of a collaboration search.
When selecting potential collaboration candidates, teams should separately verify each company’s current pipeline, whether development is continuing, the rights involved, and the preclinical and clinical evidence. The total of 1,095 includes past projects, so it cannot be used as a count of assets currently available for collaboration. This review is a reference for understanding the industry’s research composition; it does not validate the efficacy, investment performance, or likelihood of approval of any specific candidate.