The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has transferred three indigenous healthcare technologies to leading Indian pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers for further development, manufacturing, and commercialization. The initiative is aimed at accelerating affordable healthcare solutions while strengthening the country's self-reliance in medical innovation.
Under ICMR's Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative, the technologies have been licensed to Indian companies for commercial development:
• SHetA2, an innovative anti-HPV therapeutic candidate for treating Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), has been licensed to Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
• Two next-generation vaccine technologies targeting major enteric bacterial infections, developed at ICMR–National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (ICMR-NIRBI), Kolkata, have been licensed to Biological E Ltd.
The SHetA2 technology, developed through a collaboration between researchers at ICMR-NICPR and the Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma (USA), selectively targets HPV-induced precancerous and cervical cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. If successfully developed, it could provide a safer, minimally invasive, and affordable treatment option for cervical cancer patients.
The two vaccine candidates include :
- A fusion protein-based next-generation typhoid vaccine targeting Salmonella typhi.
- A recombinant vaccine designed to provide broader protection against Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, and Shigella infections.
According to ICMR, these technologies have the potential to strengthen India's efforts in cancer prevention and infectious disease control while promoting indigenous development of advanced therapeutics and vaccines.
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR, said that publicly funded research should ultimately translate into products that improve public health. He noted that initiatives such as Medical Innovations Patent Mitra are helping bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial healthcare products through stronger industry partnerships.
ICMR added that its integrated innovation ecosystem supports researchers from intellectual property protection and regulatory guidance to technology transfer and commercialization, enabling affordable, high-quality healthcare solutions developed in India for both domestic and global markets.
