ICMR seeks partners for development and commercialisation of typhoid and paratyphoid vaccine

ICMR seeks collaboration for typhoid vaccine development, inviting EoI from eligible organizations, offering technical support and royalty payment.

Indian Council of Medical Research ((ICMR) is looking at undertaking joint development and commercialisation of typhoid and paratyphoid vaccine and has now invited expression of interest from the eligible organisations, companies and manufacturers.

Giving details about the process the Council noted that under the EoI, the manufacturers/companies who are responsive and fulfilling all the technical need will be shortlisted based on their research and development plan, facilities, and capabilities. After the execution of the agreement such companies/manufacturers shall be responsible to pay the royalty @ 2% on net sales, as applicable, according to the ICMR Guidelines for Technology Development Collaboration.

Read: Editorial - Welcome development: On the ICMR and Controlled Human Infection Studies

Typhoid is a bacterial infection that affects the intestines and sometimes the bloodstream. It’s caused by the Salmonella Typhi bacteria and can be life-threatening if left untreated. The disease is caused due to eating/drinking contaminated food or water, contact with an infected person’s faeces or urine or sexual contact with an infected person. Treatment includes use of antibiotics like chloramphenicol, ampicillin, or ciprofloxacin. Typhoid vaccines available in India include Typbar-TCV, Ty21a, Typhim Vi, and Typherix. Typhoid conjugate vaccines can be given to children over 6 months of age and Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccines can be given to children over 2 years of age. In India, TCVs are currently only available in the private sector. 

According to recent studies, typhoid fever is considered a significant public health issue in India, with estimates suggesting that the country bears a large burden of typhoid cases globally, with millions of cases reported annually, particularly concentrated in urban areas, making it a major menace in the region. A study found a national incidence of around 360 cases per 100,000 people, translating to approximately 4.5 million cases annually. 

Meanwhile, the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (NIRBI) has developed a technology entitled “Enteric fever vaccine based on outer membrane vesicles from two different strains of Typhoidal Salmonelle species”.

The objective of ICMR now is to validate the technology “broad specificity Typhoid and Paratyphoid vaccine against Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella Paratyphi ” developed at ICMR-NIRBI, Kolkata. This will be followed by proper regulatory compliances, commercialization and marketing, explained the Council.