Professor Anurag Rathore Awarded Agilent Thought Leader Award

Agilent Technologies Inc. has honoured Professor Anurag Rathore, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, with an Agilent Thought Leader Award, for his contributions to the field of biopharmaceutical research and his work with advanced methods for molecular characterisation of biosimilars.

The 2020 award includes a grant to support research personnel and Agilent instrumentation including a 6545XT AdvanceBio LC/Q-TOF, a Bravo Automated Liquid Handling Platform, and a 1290 Infinity II 2D-LC System. Professor Rathore, who serves as a professor at IIT Delhi’s Chemical Engineering department, is the first researcher in India to receive this award. Award funding will be used to promote academic-based research on critical areas impacting the biopharmaceutical industry.

“I feel humbled to be chosen for an Agilent Thought Leader Award,” said Professor Rathore. “As one of the many researchers at IIT Delhi working in the new COVID-19 normal, this is an encouraging and welcome event. The award will propel me to work harder as we strive to bring the technologies and products we have been working on to market.”

The work at Professor Rathore’s lab will focus on the best practices towards molecular characterisation of monoclonal antibody-based biosimilars. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) include an important and growing group of biopharmaceutical drugs used to treat several diseases and conditions. Their activity, stability, and other physicochemical and toxicological characteristics are heavily influenced by the level and position of their amino acid modifications.

“Professor Rathore is a leading scientist among an extremely motivated and talented research group at IIT Delhi. We are privileged to have him as the first recipient of an Agilent Thought Leader Award in India,” said Bharat Bhardwaj, country General Manager for Agilent India. “This award will bring financial support, cutting-edge products, consumables, services, and, most importantly, Agilent expertise to his research.” 

Bhardwaj continued, “Over the next three years, this relationship will further help Professor Rathore’s development of biosimilar drugs, and improving human health.”