Shigella vaccine to be developed by 2024

April 2017:

Hilleman Laboratories has signed an MoU with National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) organization for development and commercialization of the Shigella vaccines and other enteric vaccines for diarrheal diseases.

Shigella is known to be the second most fatal infection, after Rotavirus, to cause severe diarrhoea in children. World Health Organization had announced the bacteria as antibiotic-resistant in February.

"Till now Shigella infection was treated with antibiotics and currently there is no vaccine to prevent shigellosis. In view of the global emergence of multidrug resistant bugs, challenges in global drug discovery program; vaccines are the only effective tool to fight against the disease. Candidate vaccines against the infection have been developed and tested at NICED by using the in vitro animal models, which showed significant immune response and protection against the infection" said Dr. Shanta Dutta, Director, NICED.

Davinder Gill, Chief Executive Officer, Hilleman Labs, announced that the two organizations are aiming to accomplish the development of the vaccine by 2024. As per the agreement with NICED, Hilleman Labs will begin testing the Shigella vaccine candidate on humans.

"This is a step in a new direction. India has immense potential in clinical research, drug and device manufacturing... We are keen that ICMR becomes more collaborative and partners with organizations in this direction and mutually expand capacities through cross-functional partnerships," said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Director General of ICMR and Secretary, Department of Health Research.