Indian Immunologicals Limited signs MoA with ICMR for Clinical Development of Zika vaccine

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer, has signed 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 foetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, blood transfusion and organ transplantation. 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 which is a neurological disorder.

In India, Zika cases have been reported from several states. According to Ministry of Health, Govt of India (https://mohfw.gov.in/?q=pressrelease-32), as on 22 July 2024, there are 537 Zika cases have been registered.

Emerging infectious disease are whose incidence has increased recently and could increase in the near future. The minority that are capable of developing efficient transmission between humans can become major public and global concerns as potential causes of epidemics or pandemics.

Currently there is no vaccine available for its prevention. IIL 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 Indian regulatory authority to produce GMP grade materials for clinical developmental work.

As per the MoA, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will fund the Phase I clinical trial costs including the costs relating to the conduct, investigations and monitoring of clinical trial. The trial will be conducted at the ICMR network sites in India.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “It is a great moment for IIL to collaborate with ICMR to develop Zika vaccine. IIL has been the single largest contributor to India achieving self-sufficiency in the field of vaccines. Our foresight on the development of novel vaccine platforms including codon de-optimized viral vaccines is beginning to bear fruit. It is essential to safeguard our people from emerging diseases by developing safe and effective vaccines that are affordable".

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, DG-ICMR said “ICMR’s Phase I trial network, launched last year, facilitates first-in-human safety studies for innovative and affordable Frontier MedTech, including small molecules, biologics, and vaccines. With four Phase-I sites—ACTREC Mumbai, KEM Hospital Mumbai, SRM Chennai, and PGIMER Chandigarh—fully operational, Indian innovators no longer need to go abroad for Phase-I trials. This is a significant step towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.

Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited added “We have been in the forefront of developing vaccine for emerging viral diseases. Currently we are working on developing vaccines for several neglected emerging diseases. Zika, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), Chikungunya, SARS-CoV-2 intra-nasal booster vaccine are to name a few”.