Aurobindo collaborates with CSIR for COVID vaccine

Aurobindo Pharma said it will undertake clinical development and commercialisation of COVID-19 vaccines being developed by three CSIR laboratories.

Separately, it is also developing a vaccine for the virus through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary Auro Vaccines, a project supported by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

On the CSIR collaboration, the firm said the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) Hyderabad, CSIR-IMTech, Chandigarh and Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata are developing vaccine candidates using different technology platforms. Aurobindo will undertake clinical development and commercialisation.

“The collaboration strengthens our COVID-19 vaccine development efforts,” said N. Govindarajan, MD. “We are already setting up a large-scale facility in Hyderabad for manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine and other viral vaccines.”

According to CSIR-CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra, the CSIR labs are working on novel proteins for vaccine development that have potential to address the need for a second-generation vaccine. “We are happy to partner with Aurobindo who have proven manufacturing and commercialisation capabilities,” he said.

CSIR Director General Shekhar C. Mande said premier CSIR labs joining hands with industry for development of vaccines will amplify India’s the country’s efforts in indigenous vaccine development.

Aurobindo said BIRAC, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), is supporting the firm’s COVID-19 vaccine development by facilitating establishment of the r-VSV vaccine manufacturing platform.

The vaccine candidate is based on the company’s “proprietary replication-competent, attenuated, recombinant vesicular stomatitis (VSV, VesiculoVax) vaccine delivery platform.”

Mr Govindarajan said “It is a matter of immense pride that BIRAC has placed its trust on our vaccine capabilities.”

“The government is focused on creating an ecosystem that nurtures and encourages new product innovation to address the most relevant issues to our society,” said Renu Swarup DBT Secretary and Chairperson of BIRAC. – The Hindu