Lok Sabha Question No. 2039 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-09
Subject: International Linkages for Research
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY'

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2039 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09/03/2016

## INTERNATIONAL LINKAGES FOR RESEARCH

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to stale:

- Research on Infectious Diseases and Vaccine strengthen   International Development: Linkages
- the details of research on Infectious Diseases whether the as well a8 Vaccines developed with other countries so diseases with an international body called Infect-ERA NET' recently: Tar;
- country-wise:
- IFso; the details thereof and the response of the International body thereto; and steps taken being taken the Government to boost the research work on Infectious Diseases Vaccine Development in the country? by

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (YS Chowdary) AND EARTH SCIENCES

F

- Y Di sedadam; The Department has taken steps to strengthen International linkages for Research Infectious Diseases & Vaceine Development;
- The country-wise details of' the collaborative initiatives in the vaccine development are aS follows area of" infectous diseases

USA: The Department has made concerted efforts to strengthen the vaccine research and international especially with USA through a bilateral development with Programme (VAP) which is under programme called Indo-US Vaecine Action implementation since July, 1988. Jinkages infection; Malaria. Hepatitis; Leishmaniasis; Respiratory Syncitial Virus infection; Tuberculosis; Cholera etc. Dengue.

Under INDO-US VAP; the vaceine called ROTAVAC was developed Rotavirus vaccine, through a project for development of initially implemented at AIIMS; CDC: Atlanta. This vaceine is the first indigenous live attenuated rotavirus vaccine developed manufactured in India by M/s Bharat Biotech International Limited , Under 4 promising candidate Dengue vaccine project at ICGEB New Delhi; has been developed which is at pre-clinical stage.

UOKoTheDepartment of Biotechnology and the Research Councils; UK signed RCUK- DBT letter of intent L0 work together in Climate and Agriculture; Antimicrobial Resistance and Vaccine Development as Change

Under   Indo-UK Cancer Research Program; clinical trials:

South Africa: Bilateral collaboration has set up in 201[ between the tWo countries for HIV vaccine research; been

Netherlands Department and its subsidiary company the Bharat  Immunologicals and  Biologicals Ltd (BIBCOL) has signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute for Translational Vaccinology Development of Vaccines" Intravacc  and BIBCOL have agreed to partner with the aim of up of & measles-rubella vaccine plant for BIBCOL. setting

Australia: Projeets have been supported in the area of infectious diseases & vaccine development

Brazil: Under Indo-Brazil co-operation; projects have been supported in the area of Tuberculosis; Cancer;

Sweden: Joint projects have been supported On strategies against antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium

Canada: An International  Malaria Research Consortium for the development of novel classes of antimalarials has heen supported.

Finland: Joint projects have been supported on Salmonella H2O test (TYPHOS) Simple and rapid platform   for   point-of-care   immunoassays   (SiRRPI) and Technology   platform for   simple   and ellicient production Of recombinant antibodies (Tech-SEPRA) typhi

Denmark: Projects have been  supported  for establishing immunological correlates of prolection against malaria Vaccine candidates functional bivassays and proteomic deciphering of host-parasite using

EU: New Indigo Program has been supported for structure/function studies of Plasmodium falciparum GMP synthetase & TBomies: an omies approach for diagnosing tuberculosis:

(d) & (C) Yes Madam. Department of Biotechnology has partnered with European Research Area Network Programme of European Union called Infect-ERA NET since last three years: Already three transnational calls have been issued.

- The further steps taken/being taken by the Government to boost the research work on Infectious Diseases & Vaccine development in the country include

To boost the research work on vaceine development under Indo-US VAP, collaborative efforts are underway with DHRACMR for diseases such as dengue and tuberculosis:

DBT and International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IA VI) entered into an MOU on which has been further   strengthened bv addition agreement Under up a joini   Vaceine   Design   Program HIV Vaccine Translational Research   laboratory (HVTR) in 2012 7t

Apart from this, the Department has a task force on Infectious Disease Biology to support Research & Development activities in important infeetious diseases: