Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) transferred a vaccine technology to BioMed Pvt. Ltd, a vaccine manufacturing company.
According to a press release by IIT Guwahati, there is a significant gap in India's vaccine technology, specifically that combats the swine fever virus in pigs and wild boars. The vaccine technology that was transferred by the institute entails a recombinant vector vaccine designed specifically for combating the classical swine fever virus.
States like Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and northeastern states have seen the occurrence of the swine fever. This contagious disease poses a threat among pigs, although it does not affect humans. This recombinant virus-based vaccine for pigs harnesses a reverse genetic platform pioneered and refined at IIT Guwahati, informed the press release.
With the collaborative efforts between researchers from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Guwahati, and Assam Agricultural University in Guwahati, the vaccine technology was developed. The findings of their in-depth research were featured in Process Biochemistry and Archives of Virology journals, stated the institute.
Researchers have utilized the Newcastle disease virus (NDV), traditionally studied for its pathogenicity in chickens, as a carrier for the essential proteins of the classical swine fever virus. This method facilitates the development of immunity in the body and is characterized by its speed and cost-effectiveness. At present, the vaccine is under the process of filing a test and analysis licence, mentioned IIT Guwahati.