- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is supporting COVID-19 vaccine development
- By facilitating the establishment of the r-VSV vaccine manufacturing platform for the first time in India under the National Biopharma Mission.
- This support to establishing r-VSV vaccine manufacturing platform is being extended to Aurobindo Pharma Limited which is developing a vaccine for SARS COV-2 (COVID-19).
- This SARS COV-2 vaccine candidate is based on the company’s proprietary replication-competent, attenuated, recombinant vesicular stomatitis (VSV, VesiculoVax™) vaccine delivery platform.
    About BIRAC:
- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise,
- set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT),
- as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise
- to undertake strategic research and innovation,
- Addressing nationally relevant product development needs.
    About National Biopharma Mission:
- The Industry-Academia Collaborative Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT),
- for accelerating discovery research to early development for Biopharmaceuticals
- approved by the Cabinet for a total cost US$ 250 million and
- 50% co-funded by the World Bank
- Is being implemented at Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
- This program is dedicated to deliver affordable products to the nation with an aim to improve the health standards of India’s population.
- Vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics and biotherapeutics are few of its most important domains, besides, strengthening the clinical trial capacity and building technology transfer capabilities in the country.
