Biological E recipient of mRNA tech as part of WHO's tech transfer hub

WHO and partners to work with Indian govt and the firm to develop roadmap and put in place training and support for Biological E to start producing mRNA vaccines at the earliest

Hyderabad-based Biological E will partner with the World Health Organisation to make mRNA technology based vaccines here as a part of the Technology Transfer Hub project.

The firm has been selected by the WHO Advisory committee on Vaccine Product Development (ACPDV) after examining several proposals from India as a recipient of the mRNA technology from the WHO technology transfer hub.

Biological E said on Monday that WHO and their partners would work with the Indian government and the company to develop a roadmap and put in place the necessary training and support for Biological E to start producing mRNA vaccines as soon as possible.

“Primarily set up to address the COVID-19 emergency, the WHO mRNA technology transfer hub has the potential to expand manufacturing capacity for other products as well, including treatments, and target other priorities,” the statement said.

Announced on 21 June 2021, the objective of the technology transfer hub is to build capacity in low- and middle-income countries to produce mRNA vaccines through a centre of excellence and training (the mRNA vaccine technology hub).

The hub is located at Afrigen, Cape Town, South Africa, and will work with a network of technology recipients (spokes) in low- and middle-income countries. The first batches of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have already been produced.

The initiative is supported by WHO, the Medicines Patent Pool and the Act-Accelerator or COVAX

The South African hub comprises Afrigen Biologics, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and Biovac, a South African vaccine producer. Within this consortium, Afrigen is the entity mandated to establish mRNA vaccine production technology, SAMRC is providing the research and Biovac is the first manufacturing spoke.

Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E. Limited, said,  “We are very pleased with the trust that WHO places in our organisation, which adheres to the standards set by the WHO… BE has been investing in mRNA technologies since last year. This new technology will definitely strengthen our resolve to develop and manufacture more vaccines in future. This partnership with WHO will enhance our ability to develop next generation mRNA vaccines that could be more suitable globally and expand the reach of vaccines availability worldwide.’’

Last year BE tied up with Canadian firm Providence Therapeutics to not only make its mRNA technology based vaccine here. Providence will provide the necessary technology transfer to make the vaccine in India, with a minimum production capacity of 600 mn doses in 2022 and targets capacity of one bn doses.

In India, Emcure arm Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is working on an mRNA candidate for Covid19 and has submitted phase 2 and 3 trial data with the drug regulator.

mRNA vaccines use a messenger RNA created in a laboratory to teach the human cells how to produce a protein that in turn initiates an immune response inside the body against a particular disease. The immune response will fight the actual virus as it gets into the body. At present, India has no Covid-19 vaccine made on mRNA platform.