Dr. Nitya Anand, Padma Shri
Medicinal Chemist & Pioneer of Indigenous Drug Discovery
A young researcher once asked him, “Sir, why did you devote so many years to developing a non-hormonal contraceptive when hormonal pills already existed?”
Dr. Nitya Anand replied thoughtfully, “Hormonal contraceptives work, but they are not suitable for every woman and can have side-effects. India needed a safe, affordable, once-a-week option developed from our own research. Science must serve the real needs of our people.”
That vision produced Saheli — India’s (and the world’s) first non-steroidal oral contraceptive.
Nitya Anand was born on 1 January 1925 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad, Pakistan), then in British India’s Punjab Province. After Partition his family moved to India. He completed his B.Sc. from Government College University, Lahore, in 1943 and M.Sc. in Chemistry from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, in 1945. He earned his first Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University Department of Chemical Technology, Bombay (now ICT Mumbai) in 1948 and a second Ph.D. from St. John’s College, Cambridge University. He later did post-doctoral research at Harvard Medical School in 1958.
In March 1951 he joined the newly established Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow in the Medicinal Chemistry Division. He rose to Head of the Division (1963–1974) and served as Director of CDRI from 1974 to 1984. Under his leadership the institute strengthened its drug-discovery programmes and trained generations of scientists.
His most celebrated contribution is the discovery and development of Centchroman (marketed as Saheli or Ormeloxifene) — the world’s first non-steroidal, non-hormonal, once-a-week oral contraceptive. It was launched in 1986 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and later included in India’s National Family Planning Programme. Even today it remains the only non-steroidal oral contraceptive of its kind.
Dr. Anand also made significant contributions to drugs for leprosy (sulphones and sulphonamides), malaria (including work related to α/β-arteether), synthetic peptides, antibiotics and other therapeutic areas. He published over 400 research papers, held more than 130 patents, and supervised over 100 Ph.D. students. He co-authored the book Art in Organic Synthesis (1969) and remained associated with national drug-policy bodies for nearly four decades.
He served as Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and was involved in the establishment of institutions such as NIPER Mohali. He was a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Indian Academy of Sciences and other prestigious bodies.
The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2012 for his contributions to science and engineering (medicinal chemistry and drug research). Other honours included the National Nehru Science Award and several institutional recognitions.
Dr. Nitya Anand passed away on 27 January 2024 in Lucknow at the age of 99. He is survived by his children, including daughter Prof. Soniya Nityanand (herself a Padma Shri awardee in 2025 for haematology and stem-cell work).
“Drug discovery is not just chemistry,” he often said. “It is about understanding the disease, the patient and the realities of our country, and then designing molecules that can truly help.”
From a young chemist who joined CDRI at its birth to directing the institute, discovering Saheli, mentoring over a hundred scientists, and receiving the Padma Shri, Dr. Nitya Anand stands as one of the architects of modern Indian medicinal chemistry and indigenous drug development.
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