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Union Minister inaugurates Asia’s first health research related “Pre-clinical Network facility” under Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)

Context

Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated Asia’s first health research “Pre-clinical Network Facility” and the “Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection (Ge-HuMic)” at THSTI, Faridabad.

These initiatives aim to enhance research capabilities, facilitate vaccine development partnerships, and bolster India’s biomedical research leadership.

Analysis of the news

• Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated Asia’s first health research “Pre-clinical Network Facility” at THSTI, Faridabad, under CEPI, capable of handling BSL3 pathogens.

Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI):

• Objective: To develop vaccines against priority pathogens before outbreaks occur.
• Establishment: Founded in 2017 at Davos by Norway, India, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and World Economic Forum.
• Funding: Supported by governments, foundations, and private sectors globally.
• Network of Laboratories: Operates nine pre-clinical network laboratories globally, with the BRIC-THSTI in Faridabad, India, being Asia’s first.
• Focus Areas: Targets pathogens posing the greatest threat to global health security, such as Nipah virus, MERS-CoV, and Chikungunya.
• Collaborations: Partners with global stakeholders including research organisations, governments, and pharmaceutical companies.
• Impact: Aims to ensure equitable access to vaccines during outbreaks, enhancing global health security through proactive vaccine development.
• Current Projects: Includes research and development efforts against emerging infectious diseases with epidemic potential.
• The facility will facilitate research on Nipah Virus, Influenza, and other respiratory diseases.
• He also inaugurated the “Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection (Ge-HuMic)” facility, acting as a repository for microbial cultures and genetically characterized specific pathogen-free animals.
• More than a dozen agreements and MoUs were signed with the private sector for vaccine development.
• THSTI, under the Department of Biotechnology, aims to foster national and international collaborations, support translational research, and innovate in fundamental research.
• Dr. Singh highlighted THSTI’s pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic and its contribution to vaccine development, emphasizing India’s leadership in preventive healthcare.