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Aragen Life Sciences: Trusted R&D and Manufacturing Partner

Scientific research plays a vital role in improving healthcare, and organizations that combine innovation with collaboration are driving progress in drug discovery. Among them is Aragen Life Sciences Limited, a multinational CRDMO (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) that is redefining the concept of innovation in the life sciences industry.

With a team of over 4000+ scientists, including more than 450 PhDs, Aragen leads research and operations across seven modern facilities in India and the United States. The company supports every stage of the R&D process from early discovery and molecular design to preclinical and GMP manufacturing using advanced digital and scientific tools.

Leading this scientific progress, Dr. Satinder Singh, Associate Director – DMPK, has an inclusive experience in immunology, pharmacology, and vaccine research. Since joining Aragen in Jan 2022, he has conducted many non-rodent in-vivo PK and IND enabling studies, which have contributed to the company’s global health impact.

In this exclusive conversation, Dr. Singh shares insights on Aragen’s role in preclinical research and explains how innovation, teamwork, and scientific excellence continue to drive the company’s growth and the global impact in healthcare.

Could you please start by sharing a brief overview of your professional journey and what inspired you to enter the preclinical services industry?

I have spent over two decades in Indian pharma and biotech R&D, contributing across diverse verticals, including NCE discovery and preclinical development, immunomodulatory cellular therapies, and generic drug product development.

I began my career in 2004 at Zydus Research Centre as a molecular pharmacologist, focusing on efficacy and toxicity biomarkers to shortlist promising NCEs across multiple therapeutic areas. At Cadila Pharma, I worked on developing an allogenic pancreatic cancer vaccine using heat-killed Mycobacterium w (Mw), a potent TLR-2 agonist, as an adjuvant, and was honored with the “Best Scientist of the Year” award in 2010 for my contributions. From 2011 to 2014, as Deputy Manager at Panacea Biotech, I contributed to anti-diabetic, anti-depressant, and anti-infective NCE drug discovery teams.

As Senior Manager at IPCA Labs (2014–2021), I collaborated on developing an enhanced orally bioavailable formulation of the antimalarial “Atovaquone-Proguanil” (Atoguanil), which was later sourced by MMV for clinical evaluation. Since 2022, as Associate Director-DMPK at Aragen, I lead discovery projects bridging science and patient care, overseeing in vivo PK studies in non-rodents such as rabbits, dogs, and minipigs, teratogenicity studies in rodents, and IND-enabling ADME studies. In 2024, I was recognized as an outstanding early-career scientist by the American Pharmacists Association for presenting the most original and significant findings in my review, “Targeted Protein Degraders- The Druggability Perspective.”

Preclinical Contract Research Organizations (CROs) offer a dynamic career path with exposure to cutting-edge infrastructure, facilities, and resources that support fast-paced drug discovery. Professionals gain the flexibility to work across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurobiology, oncology, inflammation, and autoimmune disorders. CRO experience allows interaction with scientists worldwide and familiarity with emerging drug targets, new research strategies, and advancements in science and technology. This environment fosters broad scientific knowledge, versatile technical expertise, and a deeper understanding of current trends in drug discovery.

In your view, what key factors have contributed to Aragen’s growth and success within the preclinical CRO space?

The futuristic vision of management has driven the growth of Aragen over the past 24 years. Established in 2001, Aragen is a trusted R&D and API manufacturing partner to the global pharmaceutical and biotech R&Ds. From concept to commercial, Aragen transforms scientific ideas into solutions for better health.

Be it large, mid-size, or small pharma or biotech, an agrochemical or animal healthcare company, Aragen provides global resources and time-tested capabilities at every stage of the biopharma lifecycle, in both small and large molecule segments. Aragen does not merely offer preclinical services but collaborates with clients in an adaptable and flexible manner to meet the project demands and support their pursuit to discover new drugs.

How do you see preclinical R&D outsourcing helping pharmaceutical R&D companies enhance their operational efficiency and market reach in 2025?

The global preclinical CRO market was estimated at US$7.1 billion in 2023 and is growing at a CAGR of 7.0%; it is projected to reach US$11.3 billion by 2030. The importance of preclinical CROs has grown in synchrony with the increasing complexity of drug discovery and development. The current biopharmaceutical landscape is being stormed by specialized and advanced therapies, such as peptide therapeutics, RNA therapies, ADCs and cell therapies, which need complex preclinical testing protocols, and well-qualified scientific staff to evaluate their efficacy, toxicity and safety.

Owing to the humongous cost of new drug discovery, outsourcing the preclinical research is no longer optional, but desirable to drive the operational excellence and innovation together at R&D driven pharma or biotech company, whilst staying profitable.

What are some of the major challenges the preclinical CRO industry is facing currently, and how do you believe they can be addressed?

In conventional labs, more than half of a scientist’s time is spent on manual data handling, entry, retrieving, curating, and organizing datasets. Clients nowadays want seamless partnership, swift project execution and real-time access to profiling data for quick decision making. Automation and integration of systems can significantly reduce the laborious and time-consuming manual efforts.

The first and foremost major challenge in this pursuit of the adoption of digital compliance (digitalization), however, is ensuring adequate data security. Evotec experienced a significant cyber-attack on April 06^th, 2023, which impacted its operations and caused productivity and huge financial loss. Recently (August 08^th, 2025), another CRO, “Inotiv”, faced a ransomware attack which disrupted its operations and forced shut down of critical systems, thus significantly impacting its business.

Another challenge that preclinical CROs are facing is the switching from animal models to in-vitro/ex-vivo 3D models more closely relatable to humans, for example, spheroids, patient-derived organoids, Organ on Chip, microphysiological systems, etc, particularly for therapeutic areas such as cancer, CNS and autoimmune diseases, to increase chances of clinical success.

How does Aragen ensure quality, compliance, and client satisfaction while maintaining scalability and cost-effectiveness?

Digital transformation through Digital and AI (DnA) solutions, a robust Quality Management System, transparent and proactive communication with clients, and continuous process optimization are some of the measures Aragen has undertaken to cater to a cost-effective client-centric business model.

Once the discovery project proposal is signed, the roles and responsibilities of all project stakeholders are clearly defined. A single point of contact is assigned along with a dedicated project manager to serve as the main interface, ensuring consistent and clear information exchange. The project timelines are communicated through a Gantt chart. To promote accountability and trust, Aragen provides end-to-end visibility of project status through secure channels, providing real-time access to profiling data.

Post completion of the project, our BD sources the feedback from the customers through electronic surveys, feedback forms, and F2F interactions to gain insights into their experience of working with Aragen, understand their pain points, if any, and future needs. The client’s feedback is utilized to identify areas for improvement, refinement of the offerings portfolio and discovery processes.

Finally, what advice would you offer to emerging pharma leaders looking to leverage preclinical CRO services for sustainable growth and success in the years ahead? Also any advice for preclinical CROs for maximizing growth potential?

While choosing the research partner, the pharma/biotech R&Ds give some weightage to the core strength(s) of preclinical CRO in the desired therapeutic area(s), for example, cancer research, neurological disorders. Also, due consideration is given to the desired screening capabilities, for example, ADC profiling or peptide chemistry and research. CROs with a proven track record in the therapeutic area of the client’s interest and the drug class (expertise in profiling chemical or biological moieties) are generally preferred over others. More than just project execution, a good preclinical CRO offers strategic scientific inputs along with technical expertise. If the scientific leads of CRO have in-depth knowledge of the prospective client’s therapeutic area and the latest research models, it reassures the clients that they have chosen an expert partner. Additionally, the research/review publications by CROs may help bag the contracts.

Innovation at Aragen

Aragen leverages an innovative mindset, cutting-edge tools, highly efficient methodologies, state of art infra and automation to increase efficiency, improve data quality, reduce TAT and accelerate drug development. AI/ML are being used at Aragen for predictive in-silico modelling, compound docking, predicting physiochemical properties beforehand to get detailed insights into the likely binding affinity, solubility, metabolic stability, drug potency, efficacy and toxicity. Automation and high-throughput screening (HTS) at Aragen, utilizing an automated BioMek i7 workstation, facilitates rapid screening of thousands of compounds at DMPK for their ADME properties, whilst reducing manual errors during screening, data entry and analysis. The automation, thus, is proving valuable for large-scale ADME studies, where speed, accuracy and faster delivery for quick decision making are critical. Electronic lab notebooks [ELNs] facilitate transparency, real-time data sharing and complete traceability.