An agreement has been made between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and renowned vaccine manufacturer Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) on the clinical development of a Zika vaccine. As per the terms of this agreement, Phase I clinical trials at ICMR’s network sites throughout India will be funded, together with the requisite investigations, monitoring, and trial operations.
IIL’s Managing Director, Dr. K Anand Kumar, expressed excitement about the partnership and emphasized IIL’s role in helping India become self-sufficient in vaccine production. He underlined the significance of creating vaccinations to guard against newly emerging illnesses like Zika, making sure they are both economical and efficient. The development of innovative vaccination platforms, such as codon de-optimized viral vaccines, which are now moving into clinical stages, was another development mentioned by Dr. Kumar.
The partnership, according to ICMR Director General Dr. Rajiv Bahl, is essential to achieving the objectives of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) and “Viksit Bharat” (developed India). He emphasized the value of the ICMR Phase I trial network, which spares Indian inventors from having to look for trials overseas by enabling them to carry out first-in-human safety assessments for state-of-the-art medical technology in India. At the moment, ACTREC Mumbai, KEM Hospital Mumbai, SRM Chennai, and PGIMER Chandigarh are the four Phase I locations that are completely operating.
Deputy Managing Director of IIL, Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, reiterated IIL’s leadership in developing vaccines for emerging viral infections, including Zika, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), Chikungunya, and an intra-nasal booster vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. He also discussed IIL’s partnership with Griffith University in Australia, which is aimed at developing a live attenuated Zika vaccine that has had its codons de-optimized. The manufacture of GMP-grade materials for clinical trials has been approved by Indian regulatory bodies after this vaccine underwent rigorous pre-clinical testing.
Zika is a virus that is primarily spread by Aedes mosquitoes, but it can also be passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy, through blood transfusions, and through sexual contact. Although the disease is usually not too severe, there are serious concerns associated with it during pregnancy, which could result in microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in the unborn child. There is presently no vaccination available to prevent Zika, despite 537 instances of the virus documented in India as of July 2024. Thus, the creation of a Zika vaccine is essential for maintaining public health.
SOURCE :
ANI NEWS
