ICMR invites bids for developing vaccines, diagnostic kits for Monkeypox

ICMR invites bids for developing vaccines, diagnostic kits for Monkeypox

So far, four cases of Monkeypox have been reported in India, three in Kerala and one in Delhi

The Centre has asked vaccine manufacturers to create a vaccine for monkeypox, which has caused several cases in the country. Diagnostic kit manufacturers have been asked to create disease-specific diagnostic kits. The Indian Council of Medical Research has requested bids from both and stated that it is willing to make the Monkeypox virus strain available.

The vaccine candidate and diagnostic kit can be developed through the Public-Private Partnership, and the deadline for submitting “Expressions of Interest” is August 10, according to the ICMR.

So far, four cases of Monkeypox have been reported in India, three in Kerala and one in Delhi.

According to the World Health Organisation, over 18,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 78 countries. Over 70% of the cases are from Europe, with the remaining 25% from the Americas.

However, there are only a few vaccine candidates.

Denmark-based Bavarian Nordic company, has developed a Monkeypox vaccine, but there is no efficacy data.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organisation’s Chief Scientist, told reporters yesterday that there is a need to scale up manufacturing.

“Bavarian Nordic has 16 million doses, which is part of the US stockpile. The US has donated some of those doses to some other countries,” she added.

She indicated that not only Indian companies could play a role in bottling, marketing, and distributing the existing vaccine, but that “we need to explore if we can… transfer technology and start manufacturing in other sites”