For the first time since the launch of its ambitious Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP) around two years ago, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has come out with a new strategy under which it will support the Indian biotech companies for high risk discovery, innovation and accelerated technology development exclusively in the area of antivirals.

The DBT has asked the Indian companies working on antivirals to come forward for this new DBT initiative under the BIPP, which was envisaged as a government partnership programme with the industry for support on a cost sharing basis for development of novel and high risk futuristic technologies mainly for viability gap funding and enhancing existing R&D capacities.

Senior DBT officials said that this is for the first time such proposals are invited exclusively in the field of antivirals under the BIPP. Antivirals could be plant/animal derived or chemically synthesized. The focus of antiviral research should be on developing compounds which inhibit the replication of the virus at a specific step in its life cycle.

The focus of the project would be on some of the viruses causing human diseases prevalent in India such as HIV, dengue virus, Japanese Encephalitis, Influenza, polio, rabies, chikungunya, yellow fever virus, herpes simplex virus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis E virus and any other virus which could be of importance in Indian context.

A few possible rationale approaches which could be followed for designing antiviral compounds are such as, designing new antiviral compounds directed at specific steps in the replication cycle of particular viruses, antivirals acting against multiple targets modification of existing antiviral compounds, analogues to an existing antiviral compound to obtain a compound with one or more desired characteristics e.g. lesser side effects, more potent antiviral effects against a virus of the same family, less likelihood of developing resistance, etc.

The proposals can be submitted by an Indian company alone; or by an Indian company along public sector R&D institution(s), organization(s), laboratory (ies). university (ies) etc.; or by a consortium of Indian companies; or by a consortium of Indian companies along with public sector R&D institution(s),  organization(s), laboratory (ies), university (ies), etc. (companies in the process of obtaining DSIR recognition may also apply along with the proof of application to DSIR. However, the final decision on such applications would be subject to their getting DS/R recognition).