Sumya Pathak
Biography
Dr. Sumya Pathak is a DST-Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Postdoctoral Fellow, DST –Center for Policy research, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. She is presently working on topic entitled ‘Internationalization of Traditional Indian medicine: Strengthening patent regime, Strategies and Modulation of policy’. She earned her PhD in Botany from CSIR- National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), UP India. She has published several publications in international repute, and got best research paper award in four international conferences.
Research Focus:
Sumya is working on innovation strategies to globalize traditional Indian system of medicine. Traditional Indian medicine (TIM) is currently most influential traditional medical system with the largest number of users worldwide. In recent years, the trend of TIM adoption has increased greatly, but the process of TIM internationalization has suffered from a series of setbacks. Both the Indian government and Indian medicine enterprises are making efforts to promote TIM as it moves into the overseas market. However, several issues associated with TIM, such as its complex composition, various effects of its actions, insufficient systematic studies during its internationalization, etc., hinder the adoption of specific TIM drugs in the internationally recognized pharmaceutical market. To overcome these challenges, her objective is to formulate strategies to achieve a breakthrough for the obstacles inhibiting the globalization of Traditional Medicine(TM) in India, by modulating legal regulatory networks (Pharmacovigilance), patent policies and standard systematically. Developed countries have implemented trade protectionism such as technical standard barriers, technical regulation barriers, patent technology barriers, green barriers, etc., which makes ayurvedic and herbal products fail to enter in that market or are forced to withdraw from the target market due to shortcomings in technology. Sumya is working on framework for comparative strategies on legal regulations (with reference of China, EU and USA) and innovation on international market for TM, to propose solutions that can help facilitate the internationalization of TM of India and strengthening the patent regime for the future.
She is also working with AYUSH mission, UP, India, for policy interventions on programs to release of medicinal plant varieties and protection of endangered medicinal plants, which is used abundantly in ayurvedic and herbal medicine.
