Monsoon session: Govt supporting 8 Covid-19 vaccine candidates, minister tells LS | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Monsoon session: Govt supporting 8 Covid-19 vaccine candidates, minister tells LS

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Sep 24, 2020 10:16 AM IST

The Department for Biotechnology is supporting the eight vaccine candidates at a cost of ₹75 crore, 17 proposals for diagnostic devices at a cost of ₹10 crore and 13 possible therapeutic interventions at a cost of ₹9.6 crore

The Department for Biotechnology (DBT), under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), is supporting the development of eight vaccine candidates against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country at a cost of 75 crore, 17 proposals for diagnostic devices at a cost of 10 crore and 13 possible therapeutic interventions at a cost of 9.6 crore, according to a reply given by Union Minister for Science and Technology minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in the Lok Sabha (LS) on Wednesday.

Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha after it adjourned sine die at Parliament House on Wednesday.(PTI)
Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha after it adjourned sine die at Parliament House on Wednesday.(PTI)

The department has also allocated 86 lakh for five other interventions against the viral infection that is raging across the country.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Also read: MoS railways Suresh Angadi dies of Covid-19

The DBT, in collaboration with Union Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) and National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), is working on identifying medicinal plants and classical formulations that may have anti-Sars-CoV-2 properties in cell culture models at an estimated budgetary allocation of 5.9 crore.

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes Covid-19.

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a public sector undertaking (PSU), has invited proposals for botanical ingredients and traditional formulations that can work against SARS-CoV-2.

The government has also set up five bio-banks that will collect viral and clinical samples for research at a cost of 10.9 crore. These bio-banks have been set up at Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) in Faridabad; Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) in Bengaluru; Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) in Bhubaneswar; National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) in Pune; and Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has supported six projects for Covid-19 under one of its existing schemes at a cost of 9.6 crore and 36 other projects under a special category at a cost of 25.4 crore.

The projects include developing various diagnostic techniques such as the CRISPR Cas9 gene editing technology-based Feluda kit developed by a team from CSIR’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB). The Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) has also worked on developing processes for synthesising drugs such as Favipiravir and Remdesivir and the findings have been shared with the industry.

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Anonna Dutt is a health reporter at Hindustan Times. She reports on Delhi government’s health policies, hospitals in Delhi, and health-related feature stories.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On