In this intuitive interview with Rashmi Kumari of Neo Science Hub, Dr. Ramaswamy Lakshmanan, Managing Director of SOTAX India Pvt. Ltd., shares his thoughts on the company’s advancements in dissolution technology and their contributions to the pharma industry. He discusses SOTAX’s latest innovation, a 14-station dissolution bath, as well as the importance of AI in transforming the pharma sector. Dr. Lakshmanan also highlights the role of expos in educating both students and industry professionals by providing firsthand exposure to cutting-edge technologies.
Dr. Ramaswamy, could you give us an introduction to SOTAX and the key areas the company focuses on?
SOTAX is a Swiss multinational company specializing in dissolution science. Established in 1973, we recently celebrated our 50th anniversary. We are pioneers in USP4 technology, also known as flow-through cell technology, and we offer a wide range of dissolution testers, including basic, semi-automatic, and fully automatic models, along with robotic systems and software. Additionally, we specialize in hardness testers. We have a USFDA-approved CRO in France, another in the US, and a joint venture in Ahmedabad, India, called Orpiv, where we offer pharma services to clients both domestically and internationally.
Compared to last year, how has this year’s India Lab Expo experience been for SOTAX?
The experience this year has been wonderful. There is a larger crowd and more interest in our products, particularly from high-end users and consumers. What we find impressive is the level of technical understanding among the attendees, which has allowed us to have insightful discussions about how our products can be applied in their specific industries.
What new innovations are you showcasing this year at the Expo?
One of the new additions we are excited about is our 14-station dissolution bath, which we launched this year. Previously, we had a 7-station system, but the new model, designed in Switzerland and made in India, offers increased capacity and is being very well received. We officially launched this at the Expo, with the Assistant Drug Controller of CDSCO (India), Dr. Vinay Gupta, presiding over the ceremony.
The Expo draws a large student audience as well. How do you think students benefit from attending?
This Expo is extremely beneficial not just for students but also for industry professionals. Many professionals work only with the instruments they have in their labs, and coming to the Expo gives them exposure to new technologies such as robotic systems and automated testing. For students, it is an opportunity to see equipment they’ve only read about in textbooks, like our USP4 flow-through cell. At our booth, we provide live demonstrations to show how these systems work, and we answer all the questions that students, industry professionals, and teachers have. It’s a great learning experience for them.
How has the response from the audience been so far?
The response has been very positive. Many attendees are interested in demos and want to see how the equipment functions at their own facilities. Some are taking our brochures, while others are asking for electronic information. It’s clear that there is a lot of curiosity and enthusiasm, which is very encouraging for us.
In recent years, artificial intelligence has become a major force across industries. How do you see AI impacting the pharma sector?
AI is undoubtedly the future, and it’s already making a significant impact in many sectors, including pharma. Data science and AI will play a critical role in treatment and consultations, and during COVID, we saw how AI can assist in areas like remote consultation and report analysis. However, I firmly believe that AI will not eliminate jobs. Just as we saw with the rise of IT in the 1990s, where people feared job loss but instead took on new roles, AI will open up new opportunities for the next generation, while still requiring human oversight.
You’ve been a founding member of SPDS. Could you tell us more about its purpose and activities?
SPDS stands for the Society for Pharmaceutical Dissolution Science. We founded it in 2012 with the goal of promoting the importance of dissolution testing in pharma. Dissolution testing is essential for ensuring the quality of drug products during R&D and batch release in quality control. We’ve organized the Disso India conference annually, and we even started a chapter in the US four years ago. During COVID, we hosted an online conference that attracted over 4,000 global delegates. We also run the Disso Research Presentation India (DRPI) program, where masters and PhD students present their original research, and this has now become a global competition to identify the best young researchers.
Lastly, what message would you like to share with the Neo Science Hub audience?
Neo Science Hub is a great platform. I’ve been familiar with it through Dr. Subramaniam Iyer, and I believe it will continue to be a futuristic reading resource for professionals in pharma and food industries. Keep up the good work, and I hope to see more people benefit from the knowledge and insights you provide.
