Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar and the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar have jointly developed a vaccine to combat tuberculosis (TB).
The HSP subunit vaccine candidate represents a significant step forward in India’s fight against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. “This collaboration reflects the robustness of India’s research ecosystem and its commitment to addressing critical public health challenges,” a release from IIT said.
TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, claiming 1.23 million lives in 2024 alone, according to the WHO. Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is a key global health priority under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Currently, the Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccine, developed over a century ago, offers 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,” the release said.
For commercial use, IIT Bhubaneswar and ILS, along with the National Research Development Corporation (NDRC), have signed a Quadripartite License Agreement with TechInvention Lifecare Limited to transfer technology and develop the vaccine candidate, titled “HSP Subunit Vaccine in Adjuvant (DDA) Against Mycobacterium
tuberculosis.”
The vaccine candidate is designed to trigger strong humoral and cell-mediated immune responses while enhancing BCG’s protective efficacy. NRDC facilitated the licensing process to ensure its advancement.