Aiming to accelerate development of new vaccines against infections and cancer, and also to create improved single dose vaccines, needle-free vaccines and vaccines that do not require refrigeration, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has called for research proposals under Vaccine Grand Challenge Programme (VGCP). This is designed to swiftly award funding to national scientists who are testing novel ideas in the area of vaccinology that could lead to breakthroughs in national and global health.

The programme encourages novel and innovative vaccine related discoveries, accelerated development of candidate vaccines for which earlier leads are available, research of basic and applied nature to improvise the current understanding of vaccine science and to strengthen the scientific basis for future vaccine design.

The research proposals should address the major goals like development of vaccine candidates and their preclinical and clinical evaluation until licensure; molecular epidemiological studies relevant to potentially vaccine preventable diseases; applied research to develop rapid and cost efficient processes for vaccine production, optimize formulations and stability profiles of currently available vaccines to make them safer or easier to deliver; development of vaccine related technologies; etc.

Senior DBT officials said that the launch of VGCP was significant as each year 9.7 million children die of infectious diseases, of them 4 million die before reaching 5 year of age, the majority of these deaths occur in developing countries. Development and deployment of effective vaccines can prevent at least 2.6 million of the childhood deaths. Further, recent developments show that some of the important cancers and autoimmune diseases are potentially vaccine preventable.

Officials further said that the grand challenge approach has been developed to solve scientific and technological challenges that must be overcome to develop effective vaccines.

The programme aims at accelerating development of new vaccines/improved single vaccines against infections where natural infection is protective e.g. rotavirus, typhoid, cholera, Japanese encephalitis and infections where natural infection is partially or minimally protective e.g. HIV, TB, malaria, dengue, influenza and helicobacter pylori. It also aims at accelerating development of vaccines against cancer where there are considerable S&T challenges, but there is also proof of principle that vaccines will work. For India, early acceleration is needed to generate intellectual property to remain globally competitive.

The programme also aims to create single dose vaccines, vaccines that do not require refrigeration, needle-free vaccines, devise reliable testing systems for new vaccines, find novel ways to design analysis for effective, protective immunity and to learn which immunological responses provide protective immunity.