Indian Immunologicals ties up with Australian university to develop vaccine for Coronavirus
Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) is already working with Griffith University for conducting research and development of Zika virus vaccine, which is currently at pre-clinical toxicology testing stage, the NDDB said in a statement.
Announcing the collaboration, Dilip Rath, Chairman of NDDB and IIL, said: "In this significant cross-continental collaboration, scientists from IIL and Griffith University will jointly develop a 'Live Attenuated SARS – CoV-2 vaccine' or Covid-19 vaccine using the latest codon de-optimisation technology".
This technology looks promising for developing a vaccine for prophylactic, active, single dose immunization against coronavirus in humans, with an enhanced safety profile, Rath said.
"The vaccine is expected to provide long-lasting protection," he said.
Upon completion of the research, the vaccine strain will be transferred to IIL and the vaccine maker will work accordingly with the country's regulator – Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) - to further conduct clinical trials in a phased manner.
Professor Suresh Mahalingam, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Australia said, "We are very excited to be able to work closely with IIL for development of this important vaccine".
"As this vaccine will be a live attenuated vaccine, it is expected to be highly effective by providing very strong cellular and antibody immune responses against the virus," he said.
The other benefit of a live-attenuated vaccine is a proven track record for economical large-scale manufacturing and well-known regulatory approval pathway, Mahalingam said.
Rath said the IIL is a prominent player in veterinary biologicals and committed to addressing critical public health needs.
IIL is one of the largest producers of Foot and Mouth disease vaccine in the world and was the first company in India to launch the purified Vero cell rabies vaccine for humans (PVRV), the statement said.