ICMR teams up with Bharat Biotech Limited to develop Covid-19 vaccine

Team Udayavani, May 11, 2020, 9:10 AM IST

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to develop the first ‘Make-in-India’ vaccine for Covid-19.

The vaccine will be developed using the virus strain isolated at the ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, ICMR’s head of epidemiology and communicable diseases said, “ICMR has shared one of the 11 virus strains that it managed to culture with Bharat Biotech. The industry partnership is to develop the vaccine candidate. ICMR has transferred the technology to them,”

Also, the health research body in a statement said, “Work on vaccine development has been initiated between the two partners. The ICMR-NIV will provide continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine”