The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) entered into an agreement with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to collaborate on vaccine research and development. India will commit $500,000 annually for a stake in IVI. According to the Memorandum of Understanding, ICMR will focus on research and development of vaccines to combat various infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, chikungunya and influenza, among others.
- Vaccine candidates developed in IVI labs can be transferred to one of the companies in India for further development
- IVI will facilitate further global testing of vaccine candidates developed in India’s labs by linking developers here with global partners
- The partnership will help with capacity building for clinical trials within India
- IVI will support in conducting phase II and III trials for the candidate, if required
Jerome H. Kim, director general of IVI said that India supplies 60% of the world’s vaccines for vaccine-preventable diseases and contributes up to 80% of the United Nations’ annual vaccine purchases, reports the Economic Times. “We look forward to having India’s representation on the IVI Board of Trustees, which will increase engagement with Indian academia and industry even further,” Kim said.
