Covid-19: Biotech Dept recommends 16 proposals for funding support

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

The Department of Biotechnology and Industry Research Assistance Council, which had invited applications on COVID-19 Research Consortium, has so far recommended 16 propsals on development of diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics and other interventions.

The first phase of the event ended on March 30 and around 500 applications were received. The multi-tier review process is ongoing and till date 16 proposals of devices, diagnostics, vaccine candidates, therapeutics and other interventions have been recommended for receiving funding support, officials said.

A multifaceted approach is being adopted to ensure that vaccine candidates utilising different platforms and at different stages of development are fast-tracked through this research consortium under funding from the National Biopharma Mission.

Both repurposing of existing vaccine candidates for immediate protection of high-risk groups and novel vaccine candidate development were considered while selecting under this process, they said.

Funding support has been recommended to Cadila Healthcare Ltd for advancing the development of a DNA vaccine candidate against novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and to Bharat Biotech International Ltd for COVID-19 vaccine candidate utilising the inactivated rabies vector platform.

Furthermore, for the phase-III human clinical trials of recombinant BCG vaccine (VPM1002) planned in high-risk population, Serum Institute of India Private Limited (SIIPL) will be supported. The development of a novel vaccine evaluation platform at the National Institute of Immunology to support SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development has also been approved for financial support.

The production of purified immunoglobulin G, IgG, at commercial scale from COVID-19 convalescent sera and production of high titers of equine hyper immune globulin for the treatment of COVID infected patients on large scale will be supported at Virchow Biotech Pvt Ltd.

The financial support to OncoSeek Bio Pvt Ltd will be provided to create an in vitro lung organoid model.

To boost indigenous production and to scale up the production of molecular and rapid diagnostic tests, following companies will receive financial support: Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt Ltd, Huwel Lifesciences, Ubio Biotechnology Systems Pvt Ltd, Dhiti Life Sciences Pvt Ltd, MagGenome Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bigtec Pvt Ltd and Yaathum Biotech Pvt Ltd.

Common shared facility to manufacture diagnostic kits and ventilators will be established at Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) under National Biopharma Mission of DBT to provide scaled-up production capacity to different manufacturers.

The development and deployment of contactless, affordable thermopile-based ultrasonic sensors for screening of COVID-19 suspects and indigenous production of novel PPE for healthcare professionals will also be supported, according to the DBT.