Bharat Biotech receives $4 mn award for new vaccine

Hyderabad: Bharat Biotech and the University of Maryland Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) on Monday announced that they had received a $4 million Strategic Translation Award from The Wellcome Trust for clinical development of a new vaccine against a lethal infectious disease common in sub-Saharan Africa.

The vaccine, whose initial clinical trials will begin in three years, is aimed at preventing the invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS).[caption id="attachment_347920" align="alignleft" width="380" caption=" Developing vaccines. Image courtesy Bharat Biotech"][/caption]

NTS have emerged as an important cause of invasive bloodstream infection in sub-Saharan Africa, among young children with malaria and malnutrition, and among adults with HIV, said a statement by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.

Strains of NTS that can cause systemic disease such as meningitis or sepsis are particularly common in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 20 to 30 percent of children with infections die.

"The CVD NTS project is a testimony of our belief in collaborative research and our commitment to introduce highly effective and affordable vaccines to solve region- specific neglected diseases in the developing world," said Krishna Ella, chairman and managing director, Bharat Biotech.

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"This is a collaboration to bring forth a potentially life-saving vaccine for a very underserved population," said professor Myron Levine, director,CVD.

IANS