GUWAHATI: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has achieved a significant milestone by successfully transferring a groundbreaking vaccine technology to BioMed Pvt. Ltd., a leading manufacturer specialising in high-quality vaccines.
This pioneering technology involves a recombinant vector vaccine specifically designed to combat the classical swine fever virus in pigs and wild boars.
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This innovative vaccine, the first of its kind for pigs, utilises a reverse genetic platform developed and perfected at IIT Guwahati. Swine fever, a highly contagious disease among pigs, poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate, although it does not affect humans. Instances of this disease have been frequently observed in northeastern states of India, as well as in Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat.
The collaborative efforts between researchers from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Guwahati and Assam Agricultural University in Guwahati have led to the development of this groundbreaking vaccine. Their research findings have been published in prestigious journals such as Process Biochemistry and Archives of Virology.
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Utilising reverse genetics, a potent method for vaccine development, researchers have employed the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) – traditionally studied for its pathogenicity in chickens – as a carrier for essential proteins of the classical swine fever virus. This innovative approach accelerates the development of immunity in the body and is characterised by its speed and cost-effectiveness.
Currently, the vaccine is undergoing the process of filing for test and analysis licences. This advancement holds crucial importance in curbing the spread of this incurable disease among pigs across breeding farms in India, particularly in the northeast, where cases have been rampant in recent years.