The National Biotechnology Development Strategy-2014, which aims to develop vaccines and research facilities in line with the Biotechnology Vision, is being finalized by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and will be announced soon.

The Department, which had published the draft strategy, has received comments from different stakeholders already and is working on the final document. The last date for submitting the comments on the draft was March 10 and the responses were being examined.  According to sources at the DBT, the final documents would be ready soon, but may be formally announced only after the elections.

The Department first brought out a ‘National Biotechnology  Development Strategy’ in 2007 which was a guiding framework for the activities and programmes taken up during the Eleventh plan period. The strategy sought to address a number of challenges in terms of R&D; creation of investment capital; technology transfer, absorption and diffusion, intellectual property regime, regulation standards and accreditation,  tailor-made human capital for science and innovation and public understanding of biotechnology.

Consultations for the Biotech Strategy-II were held in May, 2011. Over 200 Experts and Scientists participated in each sectoral area and the recommendations are based on the discussions of the sectoral group. Based on  these recommendations, the draft National Biotechnology Development Strategy document was prepared.

The draft strategy  aims to develop vaccines in key areas such as diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, dengue, TB, cancer, pneumonia, influenza, JE and HIV.  It also aims development of improved vaccines such as conjugate vaccines, live vector vaccines, subunit vaccines, DNA vaccines, and needle free & refrigeration free vaccines.

The strategy claims that no one should suffer from vaccine preventable diseases. It will aim “to support vaccine research to develop new vaccine candidates and improve current vaccines by advancing the science of neonatal and maternal immunity, host immunity, immunization and the development of immunological models to evaluate protective immunity,” the draft said.

It has laid down a short-term goal to develop and commercialise vaccines against rotavirus, cholera, typhoid, and rabies human (DNA based). In the mid-term, the strategy aims to take into pre-clinical and clinical development new vaccines against malaria, dengue, tuberculosis and Japanese encephalitis.  In the long-term, the strategy aims to investigate new approaches for development of affordable vaccines against cancer (HPV), polio and pneumococcus; and to support research for the development of effective vaccines against HIV.