Hyderabad: The first day of the BioAsia 2013, which is being held in Hyderabad, India, from January 28-30, 2013, saw several developments related to the life science sector. One-of-the-main developments and attractions of the event was the the giving away of the Genome Valley Excellence Award to Dr M K Bhan, former secretary of India's nodal biotechnology agency (DBT), and the BioAsia Innovation Award to Pfizer for their contribution not just to the industry but to the global society at large.

The Genome Valley Excellence Award and the BioAsia Innovation Award were introduced to recognize and honour eminent individuals and organizations for their exceptional contribution to life sciences research and the industry. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, had instituted the award during its first BioAsia 2004. During 2012, the award was given to Dr Seth Berkley, CEO, GAVI Alliance, Geneva.

Dr Freda C Lewis-Hall, executive vice president, chief medical officer, Pfizer, on receiving the BioAsia Innovation Award, said that, "Pfizer is continuously innovating to investing in its R&D to develop products that are effective, affordable and meet the highest quality standards."

"BioAsia has emerged as an important platform for the industry to learn and grow from each other's experiences helping change the face and future of healthcare around the world. It gives us immense pleasure to receive the innovation award, an area that is always our focus," added Dr Hall.