The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has started the Cabinet approved National Biopharma Mission entitled: Industry-Academia Collaborative Mission for Accelerating Discovery Research to Early Development for Biopharmaceuticals Innovate in India Empowering biotech entrepreneurs & accelerating inclusive innovation. This is a step towards strengthening the emerging biotechnology enterprise in India.
Objectives of the Mission
The approved objectives of the Mission are-
- Developing products from leads that are at advanced stages in the product development lifecycle and relevant to public health.
- Establishing and strengthening shared infrastructure facilities for both product discovery validation and manufacturing.
- Developing human capital by offering specific training to address the critical skills gaps in researchers, nascent biotech companies across the product development value chain, including in business plan development and market penetration.
- Creating and enhancing technology transfer and intellectual property management capacities and capabilities in the public and private sector.
In alignment with the approved objectives the specific targets for the Mission, over a period of 5 years, including the establishment of shared infrastructure and facilities such as GLP Validation and Reference Lab, CMC facilities; Consortia for translational and interdisciplinary research, process development, development of cell lines and expression systems; development of 5 biopharma products Vaccines, biotherapeutics, medical devices and diagnostics; Med-Tech validation facility; Clinical trial networks; imparting training for technical and non-technical skill development and Setting up and establishment of technology transfer offices in the public and private sector.
Key Points
- The Mission supports small and medium enterprises so that they can overcome the risks involved in early stages of product development.
- The Mission is also supporting enhanced industry-academia inter-linkages and providing mentoring and training for academia, entrepreneurs, and innovators to translate knowledge into products/technologies with an aim to promote entrepreneurship.
- Domestic manufacturing is being promoted through the supported shared national facilities like CMC facilities for Clinical Trial Lot Manufacturing; GLP Analytical Facilities; Setting up of Clinical Trial Networks; Cell Line Repositories; and supporting translational research consortia.
- The Mission is strengthening the ecosystem for affordable product development through the following: Development of vaccine candidates for Influenza, Cholera, Chikungunya Dengue, and Rabies, Pneumococcal disease, and COVID-19; Diagnostic kits; Biosimilar products for Psoriasis, Diabetes, Cancer; Med Tech Devices for Imaging, Pumps for dialysis and MRI scanners; Establishment of hospital-based and field site based Clinical Trial Networks for clinical trials of vaccines and bio-therapeutics; Supporting shared facilities for Biopharmaceutical development, Med Tech device development and Vaccine Development; Supporting Translational Research Consortia (TRC) for infectious diseases to accelerate vaccine development efforts; Support for 7 Technology Transfer Offices for promoting entrepreneurship; Imparting trainings to address the critical skill gaps among the nascent biotech companies in areas like intellectual property registration, Product development, regulatory standards and technology transfer.
The Mission is being implemented in a PAN-India manner and the grantees are selected through an open competitive Request for Applications (RFA). At present, no projects from the state of Rajasthan have been funded under the Mission.
This was informed by Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan in Rajya Sabha.