Bhubaneswar: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar and Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) along with National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) have entered into a quadripartite licence agreement (QLA) with TechInvention Lifecare Limited to transfer and commercialise an innovative next-generation tuberculosis (TB) vaccine targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
According to the World Health Organisation, TB claimed 1.23 million lives in 2024, making it one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.
“However, the world continues to rely on the Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccine, developed over a century ago, which provides only limited protection mainly to infants and is largely ineffective in preventing pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults.
“To address this critical unmet need, a next-generation HSP Subunit Vaccine has been developed through collaborative research led by
Prof. Ashis Biswas of IIT, Bhubaneswar and Dr Sunil Kumar Raghav of ILS, Bhubaneswar,” read a press note issued by the ILS.
This vaccine is designed to induce robust humoral and cellular immune responses while significantly improving the protective effectiveness of the existing BCG vaccine. This is a protein subunit vaccine developed as part of a joint collaboration. “The HSP Subunit Vaccine candidate, jointly developed by the premier institutions ILS and IIT Bhubaneswar, represents a significant advancement in India’s efforts to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This collaboration reflects the robustness of India’s research ecosystem and its commitment to addressing critical public health challenges,” the ILS further added.
“This partnership ensures that the jointly developed vaccine candidate advances efficiently from research to product development, validation and eventual commercialisation. It strengthens India’s mission to eliminate tuberculosis and underscores the transformative potential of indigenous, research-driven healthcare innovations for national and global health,” said ILS director Debasis Dash.