January 3, 2023

Avian influenza vaccine tech developed in India to be transferred to private companies

India's Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD) has transferred the first indigenous vaccine technology for the H9N2 avian influenza virus in chickens to four private companies, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare said last month.

"Inactivated low pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) vaccine for chickens developed by the scientists of ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, was transferred to Globion India Pvt. Ltd., Secunderabad, Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Indovax Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon and Hester Biosciences Ltd., Ahmedabad, facilitated by Agrinnovate India Ltd. (AgIn) at NASC, New Delhi," the ministry said in a statement.

ICAR director general Himanshu Pathak, ICAR-NIHSAD director Aniket Sanyal, AgIn chairman BN Tripathi, DDG (animal science) Praveen Malik and Agrinnovate India chief executive officer Praveen Malik were among other senior officials present at the event.

"The vaccine will meet the standard of the market both in India and abroad. The vaccine will contribute significantly to increasing the income of poultry farmers by reducing the economic loss due to the disease," said Tripathi.

Pathak commended Agrinnovate India limited for the efforts in the transfer of the technology to the industry.

- Mint