Indian Immunologicals Limited and ICMR Collaborate on Zika Vaccine Development
Indian Immunologicals Limited and ICMR Collaboration
Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) on Thursday announced that it has signed a MoA with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for clinical development of India’s first codon de-optimized live attenuated Zika vaccine. Zika disease, a viral infection, is mostly a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. It can also be transmitted to the foetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, blood transfusion, and organ transplantation.
Impact of Zika Virus
The disease is usually mild and requires no specific treatment. However, it is more serious when infection occurs during pregnancy, which may cause microcephaly and other congenital malformations in the infant, preterm birth, and miscarriage. Few cases may also develop Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder. In India, Zika cases have been reported in several states. According to the Health Ministry, as of 22 July 2024, 537 Zika cases have been registered.
Collaboration Details
IIL has partnered with Griffith University, Australia, to develop the codon de-optimized live attenuated Zika vaccine that has completed extensive pre-clinical evaluations and received permission from the Indian regulatory authority to produce GMP grade materials for clinical development work. “It is a great moment for IIL to collaborate with ICMR to develop a Zika vaccine. IIL has been the single largest contributor to India achieving self-sufficiency in the field of vaccines,” said Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited.
Funding and Trial Phases
According to the MoA, ICMR will fund the Phase I clinical trial costs, including conducting, investigating, and monitoring of clinical trials. The trial will be conducted at ICMR network sites in India. “ICMR’s Phase I trial network facilitates first-in-human safety studies for innovative and affordable Frontier MedTech, including small molecules, biologics, and vaccines. This is a significant step towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat,” said Dr. Rajiv Bahl, DG-ICMR.
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