Indian Immunologicals partners with ICMR for clinical development of India’s first Zika vaccine

Indian Immunologicals (IIL), a vaccine manufacturer, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to develop India’s first codon de-optimized live attenuated Zika vaccine. This partnership marks a significant step toward addressing the spread of the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne infection primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.

The Zika virus can also be transmitted to a foetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, blood transfusion, and organ transplantation. While Zika infection is typically mild and often does not require specific treatment, it can have severe consequences for pregnant women, potentially causing microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in infants. In some cases, Zika infection may also result in Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder.

India has reported Zika cases in several states. According to the Ministry of Health, as of July 22, 2024, there have been 537 registered Zika cases in the country. Emerging infectious diseases, such as Zika, pose a growing public health concern, particularly those capable of efficient human-to-human transmission, which can lead to epidemics or pandemics.

Currently, no vaccine is available for Zika prevention. IIL, in collaboration with Griffith University in Australia, has developed the codon de-optimized live attenuated Zika vaccine. After completing pre-clinical evaluations, the vaccine has received regulatory approval in India for the production of GMP-grade materials for clinical development.

Under the MoA, ICMR will cover the costs of Phase I clinical trials, including expenses related to trial conduct, investigations, and monitoring. The trials will be carried out at ICMR network sites across India.

Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director of IIL, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “It is a great moment for IIL to collaborate with ICMR to develop a Zika vaccine. IIL has been the single largest contributor to India achieving self-sufficiency in the field of vaccines.” He emphasised the importance of developing vaccines for emerging diseases to protect public health.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General of ICMR, highlighted the role of ICMR’s Phase I trial network, which launched last year. “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,” he said, underscoring the progress towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Dr Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director of IIL, noted that the company is also working on vaccines for other emerging viral diseases, including Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), Chikungunya, and an intranasal SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccine.