IIL Partners with ICMR for India’s First Zika Vaccine

September 13, 2024

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) has joined hands with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to develop India’s first Zika virus vaccine. They have signed an agreement called a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to work together on this project. The main goal is to conduct phase I clinical trials, which will test the vaccine for its safety and effectiveness in humans.

ICMR will pay for the phase I clinical trials. This includes covering all the costs for running the trials, monitoring the participants, and performing the necessary investigations to see how the vaccine works. These trials will be done in different locations in India to make sure the vaccine is thoroughly tested.

ICMR’s Phase I Trial Network

ICMR has a network of places across India where early-stage trials, like phase I clinical trials, are conducted. This network helps researchers carry out their work smoothly within the country. The trials for the Zika vaccine will take place at these four sites:

ACTREC in Mumbai
KEM Hospital in Mumbai
SRM in Chennai
PGIMER in Chandigarh

This network allows Indian scientists to test new vaccines for safety without needing to go outside the country.

Collaboration with Griffith University

In addition to working with ICMR, IIL is also partnering with Griffith University in Australia to develop the Zika vaccine. The vaccine has already gone through many pre-clinical tests, which are tests done before trying it on humans. The project has also received approval to make GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) grade materials, which are necessary for making vaccines that are safe and of high quality for human use.

IIL’s Broader Vaccine Development Efforts

Indian Immunologicals is not only focusing on the Zika vaccine. It is also working on vaccines for other important diseases, such as:

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD)
Chikungunya
An intra-nasal booster for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19)

This shows IIL’s dedication to creating vaccines for emerging infectious diseases, which are diseases that are becoming more common but don’t have enough treatment options.

Zika Virus Overview

The Zika virus is spread mainly by mosquito bites. Right now, there is no licensed vaccine to prevent Zika, making this new vaccine very important for public health.

About Indian Immunologicals

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) was started in 1982 and is one of India’s biggest vaccine producers. It was the first company in India to make a recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine. IIL creates vaccines for both animals and humans. Some of the important vaccines in its portfolio include:

Rabies
DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus)
Typhoid

IIL is part of the National Dairy Development Board, and it has more than 15 manufacturing plants across India. The company is also involved in research and development (R&D), playing a key role in helping India become more self-sufficient in vaccination programs.

About the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was founded in 1911, making it one of the oldest medical research organizations in the world. It works under the Department of Health Research, which is part of the Government of India. ICMR has its headquarters in New Delhi and operates 26 institutes across India. The council played a major role in eradicating polio in India and also helped coordinate COVID-19 vaccine development. It is involved in many other global health initiatives and launched the National Health Portal in 2015 to provide health information to the public.

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