Maharashtra to produce lumpy skin disease vaccine at Pune institute

The IVBP, established in 1960 and located in Aundh, Pune, is Maharashtra’s only state-level institute producing vaccines for domestic animals and birds

In a major boost to cattle health, the Maharashtra animal husbandry department will begin manufacturing the lumpy skin disease vaccine at the Pune-based Institute of Veterinary Biological Products (IVBP), making it the first government-run institute in India to develop and produce the vaccine, officials said.

Joint inspections and audits of the facility have already been conducted by central authorities to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards. (HT)

The IVBP, established in 1960 and located in Aundh, Pune, is Maharashtra’s only state-level institute producing vaccines for domestic animals and birds. Joint inspections and audits of the facility have already been conducted by central authorities to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards. The manufacturing licence from DCGI is expected within two to three months, officials said.

“Once approved, the Pune facility will have the capacity to produce 1.5 crore doses in six months, enabling large-scale vaccination of cattle and buffaloes across the state,” a senior animal husbandry official said.

The move is expected to help protect cattle and buffalo from the rapidly spreading viral infection that has caused heavy economic losses to farmers in recent years. Maharashtra has an estimated 1.20 crore cattle and 56 lakh buffaloes, and large-scale vaccination is seen as crucial to prevent fresh outbreaks.

The vaccine is a live-attenuated formulation and will be produced using technology transferred from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI) through its commercial arm, Agrinnovate India Ltd.

Over the last seven months, the department has completed field trials on 600 animals at government farms. The data will soon be submitted to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval, officials said.

IVBP has completed three test batches, which were validated by the Vaccine Division of IVRI, Izzatnagar. The batches are currently under field trials at government cattle and buffalo farms. The ICMR–National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune has tested antibody response at 30, 60, 120 and 180 days post-vaccination, officials said.

In December 2022, the Centre signed an MoU with IVBP, granting rights for commercial production of ‘Lumpi-ProVac’, an indigenous LSD vaccine developed by ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI) using an Indian strain of the virus.

Sheetalkumar Mukane, joint commissioner, animal husbandry, said the project had received strong institutional backing. “Senior officials, including AHD secretary Ramaswamy N and commissioner Praveen Kumar Deware, are providing continuous support for facility upgrades, consumables and financial assistance. This will help us scale up production in a time-bound manner,” Mukane said.

YA Pathan, joint commissioner, Diseases Investigation Centre, Pune, said the approval process was in the final stages. “We have applied to the DCGI seeking permission for manufacturing the vaccine. We expect to receive approval in a couple of months. The 120-day field trial results are under evaluation for final clearance,” Pathan said.

As per officials, the initiative would reduce dependence on private manufacturers, ensure affordable vaccines for farmers and significantly strengthen Maharashtra’s fight against LSD.