Moving forward within life sciences by supporting industry trends

Over five decades, the founders of HiMedia Laboratories, Dr Gangadhar Warke; his younger brother, Vishnu Warke; and his wife, Saroj Warke, have developed a strong legacy of knowledge and deep expertise that covers media in microbiology, animal cell culture, molecular biology, plant tissue culture, and hydroponic nutrients. We established HiMedia as our mission to provide indigenous products as an import substitute and saving foreign exchange. We are among the largest suppliers of comprehensive media in the world, providing products and solutions to over 150 countries.

We have set up one of the largest and the most skilled marketing teams with a strength of close to 150 team members. The focus has always been on catering to the demand of the market and ensuring HiMedia develops need-of-the-hour-based products to ensure the customer is satisfied.

Our goal is to keep adapting to newer requirements and be cost-effective, yet relevant to the required technical advances, such as genomics sequencing and bio-informatic services, automation in DNA/RNA extraction, PCR amplification technologies, media for monoclonal antibodies (biosimilars), organoid development, tissue and organ regeneration, 3D bioprinting, media for Covid-19 vaccine, and cultured meat. We are in the process of acquiring ISO 22000, a food safety management system (FSMS), which is the food certification standard, needed for production and supply of safe cultured meat.

We have been given a key mandate by the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) to develop chemically defined serum-free media (CDSFM) for biotherapeutic molecules. We have implemented stringent NABL quality norms in microbiology lab, as per international quality management and regulatory standards, and are in the process of acquiring NABL for the molecular sequencing facility.

For Higronics, the hydroponics brand of HiMedia, the central philosophy is built around the fundamentals of social upliftment through innovation and education. We are one-stop comprehensive hydroponics solutions provider for urban farming, home gardens, and terrace gardens.

Within microbiology, we have introduced HiPetriSlim^TM, the thinnest version of a petriplate. HiMIC^TM Plate Kit is an easy way of evaluation of MIC, using CLSI and EUCAST guidelines, lockable/barcoded-ready prepared plates, HiEnviro-Sponge^TM for sample collection, isotonic fluid-Aquino Rehydrol^TM for GPT, HiComb^TM MIC Strip-modified, Chromogenic media, and Autof MS1000 MALDI TOF MS for microbial identification through proteomics way with world’s biggest microbial database.

HiGenoMB, our Molecular Biology Division, has ventured into intuitive medicine by means of PCR-based detection of anti-microbial markers, helping clinicians to decide their drug of choice. They are also enhancing the biostatistics space for sequencing and post-sequencing gene mapping analysis.

Anticipated future trends in the industry
Going forward, the cost of therapy will have to be brought down and made affordable for the masses and herein, the MAbs and biosimilars must be made available for the needy population. Hence, cost-effective, and customized clone-specific media is the need of the hour, and HiMedia is focused with our state-of-the-art bioprocess optimization and analytical laboratory supported by BIRAC-NBM.

People are now looking to print tissues, organoids, and organs eventually. Work has already started on these, and we intend to work with these groups and support in their venture.

HiGenoMB plans to venture into intuitive medicine by means of PCR-based detection of febrile panel, respiratory panel, GI panel, anti-microbial markers, helping clinicians to decide their drug of choice.

We have been digitizing our overall business processes and are compliant with industry 4.0, where we implement business analytics, data analytics, AI-ML and IoT.

When it comes to strategizing HiMedia’s business model, our goal has always been to follow three core principles of product orientation by market need-based innovation and product and development, human interrelationship right from inception level, and incorporating each team with members having technical and commercial expertise.
The article is co-authored by Dr Gangadhar M. Warke, Founder and CMD, HiMedia Laboratories.