The collaboration will be for bio-therapeutics and vaccines to support indigenous and affordable healthcare solutions for humans and animals
Bharat Biotech International, Biovet and Sapigen Biologix have signed a joint Master Collaborative Agreement (MCA) with CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) for the development of novel platform technologies.
The collaboration will be for bio-therapeutics and vaccines to support indigenous and affordable healthcare solutions for humans and animals. The collaborators will identify mutually interesting projects to pursue under the agreement.
As part of this MCA, the industry collaborators will provide necessary financial support to CSIR-IICT for developing key raw materials required, and also perform in vitro and in vivo studies for further development of potential vaccine candidates and bio-therapeutics formulations to be designed by the collaborators. The broad-based MCA enables the partners to take up futuristic development activities in other related areas as well.
The partners intend to strengthen the excellent working relationship between the two organisations, by conducting studies on futuristic vaccines, bio-therapeutic formulations, delivery strategies and also explore innovative solutions to the vaccination administration process.
Speaking on the occasion, Shekhar C Mande, Director-General, CSIR said the collaboration would help realise India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Vision’ and contribute to disruptive technologies in the healthcare arena. “The expertise of other CSIR labs will also be pooled in, if necessary, to take forward this vision,” he added.
Krishna Ella, CMD, Bharat Biotech said, “This is a big forward-thinking step to explore future innovative solutions by design, and developing novel vaccine platforms in association with publicly-funded Institutions like CSIR-IICT, by pushing the boundaries of the advanced technologies.”
“We look forward to fortifying this collaboration and strengthening the innovation ecosystem of human and animal Life Sciences,” he added.
S Chandrasekhar, Director, IICT said that CSIR-IICT will always be at the fore-front to collaborate with the biotech industry by providing them timely support, in their endeavour to contribute to the National demand for vaccines and bio-therapeutics.
“CSIR-IICT has mechanisms in place to deliver under dire uncertainties like the present pandemic situation. This preparedness is exemplified in the development of synthetic processes of key adjuvants necessary for Covaxin in a short span of two to three months,” he added.
