Avesthagen
Avesthagen Limited is a Bangalore-based company that works in systems biology. It was founded in 1998 by Villoo Morawala-Patell, and began operations in 2001 after investments from ICICI Ventures and Tata Industries. Villoo Morawala-Patell is the chairperson and managing director.
The company runs the Avestagenome Project, which aims to identify genetic factors that raise disease risk in the Parsi (Zoroastrian) community. The project has collected samples from thousands of Parsis and hopes to reach about 15,000 people globally. Researchers study how genetics relate to longevity and diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders. In 2021, researchers published the first complete Zoroastrian Parsi mitochondrial reference genome called AGENOME-ZPMS-HV2a-1. A 2020 study looked at aging-related DNA methylation changes in a Parsi individual over 12 years to understand how aging and disease signatures develop.
In 2019, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (funded by Philip Morris International) gave Avesthagen a grant to study cancer risk in smokers using next-generation sequencing of circulating DNA and RNA. The project combines liquid biopsy, AI, and bioinformatics and uses samples from non-Parsi smokers and non-smokers as well.
Avesthagen also runs Avgen Pharma, its biopharmaceuticals arm, which develops biosimilars and antibody therapies for oncology, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases. Avgen has several biosimilar candidates and aims to move them into clinical testing. The company is also developing AvestaDHA, an omega-3 product from algae, and has marketing partnerships with large Indian and multinational companies.
Other company ventures include Teestar, a bioactive discovered through ADePt and MetaGrid; AVA Seeds, which works on seed research and plant genetics; and BioPercept, a biocompostable plastic made from renewable materials.
In 2012, Avesthagen faced financial difficulties, leading to staff departures and legal complaints from former employees.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:48 (CET).