Diagnostics for infectious disease and allergy, biomedical devices and vaccines are key focus areas; submissions close on June 30, 2012
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has formally launched the third special call in the area of affordable health care technologies and products under the Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP).
The area of focus is in recognition of the importance of supporting development of technologies and products for healthcare with a view to reduce cost, increase their availability, accessibility and affordability for the society at large.
The stated rationale behind the third round is to accentuate the need of such technologies and make an effort to contribute towards fostering the development of affordable healthcare technologies and products having translational attributes and commercialisation capability. The proposal may be submitted for any stage of research and development, from pre-proof-of-concept to validation of established technologies.
The scheme is being announced under BIPP and will be operated through the Biotechnology Industry Related Assistance Council (BIRAC), a not-for-profit section 25 company set up recently by DBT with a vision to promote and nurture innovation research in biotech enterprises specially start-ups and SMEs. Dr Renu Swarup, Advisor Incharge-BIPP, DBT is the Managing Director of BIRAC.
The three main areas specified in this call are diagnostics for infectious disease and allergy, biomedical devices and vaccines. Under the first area, this time’s call is for development of point-of-care and public health or environment related in vitro diagnostics.
Under biomedical devices, the focus is on novel and innovative technologies addressing health problems and aiming at improving quality of life, which may include, but are not limited to, ventilators, haemostatic and lifesaving devices, paediatric devices, imaging and monitoring devices or guided interventions, prosthesis, catheter, stents, infant warmer, drug delivery devices, radiological devices/ product, implants, (advanced biomaterials, wound therapies, and devices used for infection control, tele-health technologies etc.
Under vaccines, funding would be made available for novel and improved vaccines for disease conditions like HIV, TB, malaria, dengue, multivalent Influenza, Helicobacter pylori, cancer, hepatitis viruses as well as rotavirus, typhoid, cholera, Japanese Encephalitis, intramuscular polio.
The scheme will also support projects in areas in which improved affordable products are needed like development of single dose vaccines with long lasting protection, novel adjuvants, immunomodulators as well as room temperature tolerant and improved vaccine delivery mechanisms.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai
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