Emcure, Biological E Partner with ICMR to Commercialise Indigenous Cancer, Vaccine Technologies
New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has licensed three indigenous biomedical technologies to leading Indian pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers to accelerate the development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative therapies for cancer and infectious diseases. The technologies have been licensed to Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Biological E Ltd., marking a significant step towards translating publicly funded research into affordable healthcare solutions and strengthening India's biomedical innovation ecosystem.
Under the technology transfer initiative, Emcure Pharmaceuticals has received the licence for SHetA2, a novel anti-HPV therapeutic candidate developed for the treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), a precancerous condition caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection that can progress to cervical cancer if left untreated. SHetA2 was jointly developed by Dr. Showket Hussain of the ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) and Dr. Doris M. Benbrook of the Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, USA. The candidate selectively targets HPV-induced precancerous and cervical cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, offering the potential for a safer, affordable and minimally invasive treatment option.
ICMR has also licensed two next-generation vaccine technologies developed by Dr. Santasabuj Das and his team at the ICMR-National Institute of Research in Bacterial Infections (ICMR-NIRBI), Kolkata, to Biological E Ltd. One technology comprises a fusion construct containing the outer membrane protein of Salmonella typhi, designed as a next-generation typhoid vaccine candidate. The second is a recombinant vaccine composition intended to provide broader protection against Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi and Shigella infections, addressing major enteric bacterial diseases.
The technology transfers were facilitated under ICMR's Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative, which supports innovators through patent filing, licensing and technology transfer. The council stated that it has established an integrated innovation ecosystem covering discovery, intellectual property protection, clinical validation, regulatory facilitation and commercialization. Additionally, MedTech Mitra provides regulatory guidance, clinical evaluation and market access support for indigenous medical technologies.
Commenting on the development, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR, told Deccan Herald that the organisation remains committed to ensuring that publicly funded research is translated into products that improve health outcomes. He added that initiatives such as Medical Innovations Patent Mitra are strengthening the pathway from scientific discovery to commercialization while fostering collaborations between researchers and industry and supporting India's vision of self-reliance in healthcare innovation.
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