The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has invited for its 19th batch of Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) scheme to support innovative, early stage, pre-proof of-concept Research and Development (R&D) and commercialisation efforts of available innovative research leads in all areas of biotechnology.
The scheme which already supported over 100 projects so far aims to assist small and medium business units including new enterprises with not more than 500 employees in R&D and offer them phase I funding for early stage, pre proof-of-concept innovative research. It also provides phase II funding towards commercialisation of research leads.
The last date for the submission of proposals is July 15, the DBT notice said, adding that the call for next batch could come by September-October this year.
Making a good response, the DBT has assisted 112 projects under the scheme. In the healthcare sector alone, as many as 56 companies got the assistance while the scheme lent helping hand to develop industrial products and process in 16 projects.
ABL Biotechnologies Limited, Chennai (sustained release drug delivery systems with liposomes and microspheres - phase I), Actis Biologics, Mumbai (sustained delivery of MSP36 – phase II), Abexome Biosciences Pvt Ltd., Bengaluru (towards generation of a library of monoclonal antibodies against human embryonic stem cells – phase II), Ara Healthcare, Gurgaon (product development, regulatory toxicology and pharmacology and phase – I human clinical trial of three recombinant therapeutic proteins - phase I & II), Arbro Pharmaceuticals Ltd., New Delhi in collaboration with LSR Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi, AIIMS, New Delhi (development and clinical validation of methods for diagnosis of tuberculosis and bacterial drug resistance by smear microscopy, culture and polymerase chain reaction using processed clinical samples and kit thereof - phase – I), Avesthagen Ltd., Bengaluru (Hepatocyte-like cells generated from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) for hepatotoxicity screening of xenobiotics in the drug discovery process -phase I), Bharat Biotech International Limited, Hyderabad (development & standardization of manufacturing and testing methodologies for human neonatal rotavirus vaccine candidate -phase II), and Bharat Serum and Vaccines Limited, Mumbai (expression of recombinant proteins for development of synthetic pulmonary surfactant for Respiratory Distress Syndrome - phase I) are some of the companies and projects being assisted.
Some other pharma companies in the list include Bioorganics and Applied Materials Pvt Ltd., Bengaluru; Bigtec Private Limited, Bangalore; Bisen Biotech & Biopharma Private Limited, Gwalior; Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Ahmedabad; Century Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Vadodara; Excel Matrix Biological Devices Private Limited, Hyderabad in collaboration with National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi; Frontier Lifeline Private Limited, Chennai, Genomix Molecular Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad in collaboration with Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, National Institute of Malaria Research Field Station, Jabalpur, Osmania University, Hyderabad; Healthline Private Limited, Bengaluru; Healthline Private Limited, Bengaluru; IcubedG Ideas Private Limited, New Delhi; IMGENEX India Private Limited, Bhubaneswar in collaboration with Institute of life Sciences, Bhubaneswar; Incozen Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad; Indian Immunologicals Limited, Hyderabad in collaboration with Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; India Pesticides Ltd., Lucknow; Indovax Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon; Jupiter Bioscience Limited in collaboration with The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Baroda; Laila Impex, Vijayawada; LeadInvent Technologies Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai; Lifecare Innovation Private Limited, Gurgaon; Myko Tech Private Limited, Goa in collaboration with Asthagiri Herbal Research Foundation, Chennai; and Mediclone Biotech Private Limited, Chennai.