National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) and a leading multi-national regional pharmaceutical company signed a 5-year Document of Understanding (DOU) here Friday to enhance cooperation in the field of research and development pertaining to healthcare. The DOU was inked by NUMS Vice Chancellor Lt Gen Syed Muhammad Imran Majeed (Retd) and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer CCL Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd Lahore Dr Shahzad Khan at a simple ceremony here Friday. It was attended among others, by the Pro Vice Chancellor Academics Maj Gen Saleem Ahmad Khan(Retd), Pro Vice Chancellor Administration Maj Gen Syed Ammar Reza Hamdani (Retd), and Director NUMS Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization(ORIC) Awais e Siraj and head of Medical Affairs CCL Beena Ali. Under the DOU pharmaceutical company has expressed its willingness in “capacity building and training with special emphasis on pharmaceutical testing including bioequivalence studies, clinical trials and healthcare products development,” which will help bolster NUMS endeavor to improve quality of life of the people. “CCL actively seeks opportunities to contribute to clinical research, product, and capacity development of key stakeholders,” it added. In his brief remarks on the occasion the Vice Chancellor of NUMS said, “ We and you are in the business of dispensing healthcare to the patients. We fully support you as our success will be gauged by your success.” The pharmaceutical company, with an annual turnover of Rs 8 billion, currently has its operations in South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, and Africa and is producing a vast range of over 200 products in major therapeutic categories. Managing Director of the second biggest pharmaceutical exporters in the country Dr. Shahzad after the ceremony said, “ As an organization we strongly believe that NUMS is a kind of organization which has the greatest impact in the overall healthcare system of the country.