Newz Desk, Durgapur: In a major scientific milestone, the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar and the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) have jointly developed a new vaccine candidate aimed at strengthening the global fight against tuberculosis.
The experimental vaccine an HSP-based subunit formulation — marks a significant leap forward for India’s TB research capabilities. “The collaboration demonstrates the strength of India’s scientific ecosystem and its determination to tackle long-standing public health threats,” IIT Bhubaneswar said in a statement.
The TB vaccine development has come a long way and it’s one of the most preferred agendas of WHO , although recent breakthrough has come in the form of developement of Vaccine candidate
Dr. Prashant Kumar-MD (RESPIRATORY MEDICINE) Consultant Pulmonologist IQ City Medical College and Hospital Durgapur said ‘To support this effort, WHO’s Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee (PDVAC) called for the development of a WHO preferred Product Characteristics (PPC) for new TB vaccines. PPCs describe WHO preferences for parameters of vaccines, in particular their indications, target groups, possible immunization strategies, and features of desired clinical data related to safety and efficacy, supportive of policy decision making. The primary target audience for the PPC is any entity intending to eventually seek WHO policy recommendations and prequalification for their products, which is required for procurement by UN agencies. Vaccine PPCs are built through a wide consensus building process and result from interactions with a variety of stakeholders.’
A Persistent Global Killer Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, the disease claimed 1.23 million lives in 2024. Eliminating TB by 2030 is one of the major targets under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
For decades, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine — developed more than 100 years ago — has been the only available preventive measure. However, its protection is mostly limited to young children and offers minimal defence against pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults.
A New Approach
The new subunit vaccine has been developed through joint research led by Prof. Ashis Biswas of IIT Bhubaneswar and Dr. Sunil Kumar Raghav of ILS. The candidate aims to stimulate both antibody-driven and cell-mediated immune responses, potentially boosting the efficacy of the time-worn BCG vaccine.
Paving the Way for Commercialisation
To accelerate the vaccine’s development and testing, IIT Bhubaneswar, ILS and the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) have entered into a quadripartite licensing agreement with TechInvention Lifecare Limited. Through this agreement, the technology for the “HSP Subunit Vaccine in Adjuvant (DDA) Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis” will be transferred to the company for further development and scale-up.
NRDC facilitated the licensing process to ensure smooth transition toward commercial readiness.
If successful in future trials, the new vaccine could become a crucial addition to India’s arsenal against one of its most persistent public health challenges.
Representational image. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
