>Infohowl at 12:24, 2 March 2021

2021-03-02T12:24:09Z

New page

{{Multiple issues|
{{Orphan|date=June 2017}}
{{Lead too long|date=January 2021}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Anil Koul
| image = AnilKoulNew.jpg
| image_upright =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1972|06|01}}
| birth_place = India
| workplaces = Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh 160036, India. LSHTM, London, UK.
| alma_mater = Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry (MPI), Munich Germany & CSIR-IGIB Delhi and Delhi University, India
| awards = American Chemical Society (ACS) - Heroes of Chemistry Award (2020);
Sun Pharma Research Award (2017); Johnson Medal (2013); Swiss-TB prize (2005)
| signature_alt =
| website =
}}
'''Anil Koul''' (born 1 June 1972) is a scientist and former Director of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research|CSIR]]-[[Institute of Microbial Technology]] (IMTECH),<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[The Times of India]] | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/From-Belgium-to-city-for-Imtech/articleshow/53681997.cms | title=From Belgium to city for Imtech | first=Shimona | last=Kanwar | date=13 August 2016 | access-date=14 June 2018 }}</ref> a premier biomedical and biotechnology research institution under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under Ministry of Science and Technology, [[Government of India|Govt. of India]].

Anil is currently a member of scientific advisory board of [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research|CSIR]], a high powered committee for scientific management of CSIR organization, chaired by [[Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India|principal scientific adviser]] to the [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]], Prof. [[K. VijayRaghavan|Vijay Raghavan]].

Anil has more than 18 years of pharmaceutical R&D expertise and currently is Vice President and Head of Global Public Health discovery at Johnson & Johnson ([[Johnson & Johnson|J&J]]). He is member of Board of Directors of [[Janssen Pharmaceutica|Janssen Pharmaceutica NV]], the European subsidiary of [[Johnson & Johnson|J&J]].

Additionally, Anil was recently appointed as Professor of Translational Discovery at [[London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine]] (LSHTM), where he will set up a laboratory of Translational drug discovery.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=LSHTM|url=https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/koul.anil|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=LSHTM}}</ref>

Anil's major scientific career achievement is his key role in discovery and development of new tuberculosis drug [[Bedaquiline]] - the first drug to be approved in the last 45 years for treatment of [[Tuberculosis management|drug-resistant tuberculosis]].

== Early life and education ==
Anil was born in Srinagar, Kashmir and completed his secondary school education in Srinagar till 1990 and further Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Delhi University. Anil obtained his PhD at [[Delhi University]] and at [[Max-Planck Institute]] (MPI) of Biochemistry in Germany in 2001. His initial research focused on [[kinase]] and [[phosphatase]] in the laboratory of [[Axel Ullrich]]<ref>Laboratory of Alex Ullrich (http://www.biochem.mpg.de/en/rd/ullrich)</ref> at MPI and subsequently in [[Axxima Pharmaceuticals]], a biotech company in [[Munich]]. In 2004, Anil joined the US multinational [[Johnson & Johnson]], He worked as senior director and headed its respiratory infections discovery unit based in Europe and US. In late 2016, Anil moved to India to run the [[Institute of Microbial Technology|CSIR-IMTECH]] in Chandigarh.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=J&J scientist helping fight tropical diseases in India|url=https://www.jnj.com/innovation/johnson-and-johnson-scientist-helping-fight-tropical-diseases-in-india|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref>

== Scientific contributions ==
Anil's key achievement has been as one of the core scientist at J&J involved in discovery of [[multi drug-resistant tuberculosis]] drug called [[Bedaquiline]].<ref>SIRTURO- MDR-TB Drug (https://www.sirturo.com/)</ref> [[Bedaquiline]] has been conditionally approved in US, Europe and several high TB burden countries like India, China and South Africa. In 2013, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) put [[Bedaquiline]] on list of its [[Essential Medicines]].<ref>WHO Conditional Approval SIRTUR
https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/sirturo-bedaquiline-receives-conditional-approval-in-the-european-union-for-the-treatment-of-multi-drug-resistant-tuberculosis
</ref> Bedaquiline received a prestigious [https://www.galienfoundation.org/index.php/prix-galien/ Prix Galien Award] for most innovative [[Orphan drug|Orphan Drug]] (UK) in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.galienfoundation.org/index.php/2017/01/21/winners/|title=Winners – Galien Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> In 2019, India's Health Ministry made Bedaquiline available across more than 500 Drug-resistant TB centers in India<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/mohfw_india/status/1082169244467392512|title=For Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB) patients, a better and newer drug regimen Bedaquiline is now available across 428 district level DR-TB centres and 148 specialized DR-TB centres. #SwasthaBharat #TB #Tuberculosis #EndTBpic.twitter.com/GWAYSwkwq5|last=Health|first=Ministry of|date=6 January 2019|website=@mohfw_india|language=en|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> to help India's #EndTB program.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination 2017–2025 |url=https://tbcindia.gov.in/WriteReadData/NSP%20Draft%2020.02.2017%201.pdf |website=tbcindia.gov.in |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=March 2017}}</ref> Till date, [[Bedaquiline]] has been approved for use in more than 60 countries and is part of national TB eradication plans across the world.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=TBFacts|url=https://tbfacts.org/bedaquiline/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> In 2020, US FDA approved New Pediatric formulation of Bedaquiline (>=5 years).<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Drugs History - Sirturo|url=https://www.drugs.com/history/sirturo.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref>

Anil has extensive scientific contributions to drug discovery and translational research. Anil and his team have discovered more than 3 other drug candidates, two of which are into late stage human testing including one for serious respiratory viral infections (RSV).<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Clinical Trials|url=https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04068792|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> Anil has several publications in leading journals like [[Nature (journal)|Nature]] and [[Science journal|Science]] and more than 25 international patents to his credit.

As Director [[Institute of Microbial Technology|IMTECH]] he oversaw R&D and non R&D staff of more than 350 people and was responsible for scientific strategy, finance, general administration, business development, procurement, communication & public relations.At [[Institute of Microbial Technology|IMTECH]], Anil played a pivotal role in establishing new research divisions like medicinal chemistry, and virology centers.<ref>{{Cite web|title="IMTECH's translational science agenda holds a big promise"|url=https://www.biovoicenews.com/imtechs-translational-science-agenda-holds-a-big-promise/|last=|first=|date=|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> He established several industry-academia partnerships like [[Cadila Healthcare|Zydus Cadila]] and a high end skill development centre in partnership with [[Merck & Co.|MERCK]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=185977|title=CSIR to establish a High-End Skill Development Centre in Chandigarh.|website=pib.nic.in|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref> In 2018, IMTECH's Bioinformatics Unit was among top institutions in world in number of biological databases.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bigd.big.ac.cn/databasecommons/stat#|title=Statistics - Database Commons|website=bigd.big.ac.cn|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref> Anil made policy changes including 'ease of doing science' and a new centralized admin block.

Anil has played key roles in several high level government committees like:

* Member, CSIR healthcare theme directorate.
* Technical advisory group member at [[Indian Council of Medical Research|ICMR]] National Virtual Centres for Clinical Pharmacology.
* Technical advisory committee member on National Antimicrobial Resistance Program.

== Key awards and honors ==
In 2020, [[American Chemical Society|American Chemical Society (ACS)]] awarded Anil along with two of his colleagues the 'Heroes of Chemistry Award'<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=ACS Heroes of Chemistry|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/industry/heroes.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=American Chemical Society - Janssen J&J - 2020 Heroes of Chemistry|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9C7SIk2Mdg|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> for the discovery of [[Bedaquiline]]. [[American Chemical Society|ACS]] is one of the biggest non-profit organization chartered by the US Congress.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=ACS|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> In 2017, Anil was conferred with 'Sun Pharma Science Foundation Award'<ref>The Tribune (http://epaper.tribuneindia.com/1188387/ChandigarhTribune/CT_29_April_2017#page/2/1)</ref><ref>
Sun Pharma Science Foundation award- (http://www.sunpharma.com/responsibility/csr/ranbaxy-science-foundation)</ref> by [[Ministry of Science and Technology (India)|India's Health Minister]] for his contribution to discovery of [[Bedaquiline]]. He was also awarded with the 'Swiss-TB Award' (2005) by the Swiss Foundation for Pneumology Research<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.swisstb.org/en/news/swisstb-award-2005-drs-liem-nguyen-anne-walburger-giorgio-ferrari-anil-koul-5.html|title=2005 SwissTB Award: Drs. Liem Nguyen, Anne Walburger, Giorgio Ferrari, Anil Koul|website=www.swisstb.org|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref> and Johnson Medal (2013). He has featured in [[Voice of America]]'s (VOI) radio news analysis<ref>Voice of America’s radio news http://www.voanews.com/a/little-progress-made-against-tuberculosis---114800769/171357.html</ref> and India's electronic news channels ([[NDTV]]) 'Every Life Counts Program'.<ref>India’s NDTV every life counts program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDW5-2S4VkM</ref>

== Key Advisory Boards Membership ==

# Scientific Advisory Board Member, CSIR.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csir.res.in/sites/default/files/omadvisory.pdf|title=CSIR|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref>
#Research Council Member of CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow.<ref name="Research Council">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cdri.res.in/rtipdf/rccommittee.pdf|title=Research Council|date=16 January 2019|website=www.cdri.res.in|access-date=2018-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216163529/http://www.cdri.res.in/rtipdf/rccommittee.pdf|archive-date=16 December 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
#Board of Directors, Technology Business Incubator, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kiit.ac.in/|title=KIIT {{!}} Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Bhubaneswar|website=KIIT|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref>
#Member of Board of Directors, Janssen Pharmaceuticals NV, Belgium.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koul, Anil}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:University of Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:Indian pharmacologists]]
[[Category:Living people]]

{{Improve categories|date=January 2021}}

Anil Koul - Revision history

>Infohowl at 12:24, 2 March 2021