BioSpectrum India Magazine November issue BioSpectrum India Magazine | Page 11

www.biospectrumindia.com
|
November 2017
|
BioSpectrum
l POLICY AND REGULATORY NEWS
Government plans for setting
more 49 cancer centres
Bihar initiates
second phase
of Health
programme
Bihar health Minister Mangal
Pandey launched the second
phase of technical support
programme by Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation
(BMGF) and CARE India
recently.
Augmenting the sustained
efforts to achieve key health
and nutrition outcomes,
the state government had
signed a memorandum of
cooperation with BMGF
in 2010. Accordingly, a
technical support unit (TSU)
was established in the state
in 2014. In the first phase of
the TSU, it worked closely
with the health department
and integrated child
development services (ICDS)
on maternal and child health,
family planning and nutrition
intervention.
The minister stated
that despite some positive
changes in healthcare
scenario in the state, there
were many areas that would
further be looked into in
the second phase of TSU
programme. He also stressed
on the use of technology to
bring efficiency in the health
delivery system and connect
healthcare workers such
as ASHA workers to these
technologies.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has entered into an
agreement to collaborate on vaccine research and development with
international vaccine development organisation International Vaccine
Institute (IVI). Through this partnership, India will commit $5,00,000
(Rs 3.20 crore) annually for a stake in IVI—an amount
approved during a cabinet meeting in January. Under
its latest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),
ICMR will be focused on research and development of
vaccines combatting various infectious diseases. Under
ICMR’s latest partnership, vaccine candidates developed
in IVI labs could be brought to India and given to one
of the companies here for further development. IVI may
also facilitate further global testing of vaccine candidates
developed in Indian labs by linking developers here with
global partners. The partnership is further expected
to help with capacity building for clinical trials within
India as well. The MoU is also expected to help support
companies like Bharat Biotech, which has completed phase
I clinical trials of its chikungunya vaccine and has expressed the need for
support in conducting phase II and III trials for the candidate.
Assam to establish
technology incubation centre
The Assam government has started a process to set up a technology incubation
centre at Guwahati Biotech Park, seeking to promote new businesses in
biotechnology and allied areas. The initiative will facilitate faster penetration
of biotech industry and accelerate research and development activities in
biotechnology and related fields with effective utilisation of the rich natural
resources of this region. It will also help educate and utilise local human
resources. Assam and the Northeast are rich in natural resources and its
biodiversity holds potential to capture the markets of the entire Southeast
Asia through concentration in the organic sector. Biotechnological
interventions can immensely help Assam in becoming an organic hub. A
judicious mix of biotechnological know-how and conventional farming
would immensely gear up the agro-based industry in the state. 64 bighas of
land have already been earmarked for setting up a permanent campus for
the Guwahati Biotech Park at Amingaon. The government has sanctioned Rs
35 crore for the construction of the technology incubation centre and work
for it is expected to complete in 2019.
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