News
Yoga session organized at Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) campus
Every year 21st June is celebrated as International Yoga Day. On the 7th International Yoga Day, THSTI conducted a yoga session for its employees and students with the motto “Yoga for Wellness”. Yoga focusses on bringing a harmony between mind and body. It has profound effect on the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of people more so in the present challenging times.
The yoga session at THSTI was conducted in the Auditorium complex of THSTI with all COVID protocols in place. Due to restrictions on congregation, many participants joined the event virtually.
Ms. Roopa Tiwari, a certified yoga trainer by Ministry of Ayush conducted the yoga session at THSTI with a focus on breathing exercises which are important during Covid pandemic. She is a social worker who has been imparting yoga lessons to people which has helped them improve their quality of life. Ms. Tiwari was welcomed by Dr. Amit Pandey, Associate Professor, THSTI.
Prof. Pramod Garg, Executive Director, led the enthusiastic group of participants for the yoga session.
After the session, Prof Garg felicitated Ms. Roopa Tiwari and addressed the gathering. Prof. Garg emphasized that yoga should be practised in day-to-day life and not limited to International Yoga Day. Prof Garg mentioned that yoga is a gift from India to the world and that is why it is practised by people across the world.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Pallavi Kshetrapal, Assistant Professor.
Ind-CEPI training Series 2 Strengthening Clinical Trials Research Capacity in Indias Friendly Countries
Ind-CEPI training Series 2 Strengthening Clinical Trials Research Capacity in India’s Friendly Countries concluded on April 30, 2021, with the last session being attended by 117 participants from Bahrain, Bhutan, Gambia, Kenya, Oman, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. The series was comprised of 10 sessions attended by more than 400 participants (Good Clinical Practice - 4 sessions, Ethical considerations in clinical research - 2 sessions, Good Clinical Laboratory Practice - 2 sessions, Novel vaccine development and immunization policy in pandemic - 2 sessions).
Road Safety Pledge
Oath administered by Prof. Pramod Garg, Executive Director to staff on 17.02.2021
Prof. Pramod Kumar Garg joined as Executive Director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad w.e.f. 14th February 2021
Prof. Pramod Kumar Garg joined as Executive Director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad w.e.f. 14th February 2021.
Registration for the CDSA online course on the SWAYAM platform: “Current regulatory requirements for conducting clinical trials in India for investigational new drugs/new drug (Version 3.0)”
Award at IISF 2020 for research presentation
Dr. Zaigham Abbas Rizvi won the third position at Young Scientists’ Conference in the virtual mode (YSC-2020, New Delhi), IISF 2020 for his presentation on “Immunological and cardio-vascular pathologies associated with SARS-CoV2 infection in golden Syrian hamster” under the theme Pandemic crisis and challenges.
THSTI’s moves towards realizing universal flu vaccine with release of three Horizon 2020 DBT-EU grants
The European Commission (EC) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India have provided grants to 5 years’ program (2021-2025) on the development of next-generation influenza vaccine. The first of its kind of collaborative efforts between continents will address the present scientific obstacles on influenza vaccine development and work together to fill in the research gaps for the development of next-generation influenza vaccines. Three projects viz., ENDFLU, INCENTIVE, and INDIGO have been awarded jointly by EU and DBT towards achieving this aim. THSTI is a part of all these three projects and will lead INDIGO.
Union Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates CEPI centralized network lab at THSTI
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon'ble Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare virtually inaugurates the NABL-accredited (ISO 17025:2017) Bioassay Laboratory (BL) at THSTI on 5th January 2021 at 11.30 AM (IST) as part of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) centralized network labs for COVID-19 vaccine testing.
The PIB release can be accessed at
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1686281
THSTI Bioassay Laboratory received NABL accreditation under ISO 17025:2017
The Bioassay Lab (BL) at THSTI has received accreditation from the NABL (National Accreditati
AYUSH – DBT Collaboration takes Scientific Research into Covid 19 to advanced levels of sophistication
The first animal study in India on SARS-CoV-2 virus (the cause of Covid-19)which arose out of a collaboration between Ministry of AYUSH and Department of Bio-Technology (DBT), has moved into its final stages. One among the most sophisticated research projects in the Covid-19 context in the country, this concerns pre-clinical studies on four oral interventions have already been taken up for clinical studies through another collaboration of the Ministry of AYUSH, the partner in this one being the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The MoU relating to the animal study (in-vivo study) was signed between the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) of the Ministry of AYUSH and the DBT, and is based on the concept of reverse Pharmacology (PH) which explores the scientific reasoning behind established medical practice like those of Ayurveda. This study is being held at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), an autonomous institute of DBT located in Faridabad. The sophisticated BSL-3 level laboratories of THSTI are housing these studies, which are held on hamsters.
Through this study, the country has registered a land mark in SARS-CoV-2 virus / COVID-19 research,this being India’s first in-vivo anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus study using oral interventions. The first round of experiments has just been completed and the results are awaited. In the meanwhile, the in-vitro anti-viral studies have been initiated at Regional Centre for Biotechnology(RCB), Faridabad (a statutory institute of DBT). These studies are expected to complete by 31st January 2021. The findings will provide scientific evidence on the existing oral interventions as well as generate leads on new herbal drugs.Considering that the age-old AYUSH formulations have a high level of adoption among the country’s population, Ministry of AYUSH and Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) have together initiated India’s first oral intervention study on four selected Ayurvedic formulations at THSTI, Faridabad. These four interventions are Aswagandha, Guduch-Pippali combination, Mulethi and AYUSH-64 (a poly-herbal compound).
It may be recollected that the Prime Minister in his address to the thought leaders of the Ayush Sector on 23rd March, had called for substantial scientific studies on possible Ayush solutions for Covid-19. In response, the Ministry of AYUSH took up a series of steps, including both pre-clinical as well as clinical evaluation of the recipes / formulations against COVID-19 using standard protocols and methodology. An ‘Interdisciplinary AYUSH R&D Task Force on COVID-19’ was constituted by Ministry of AYUSH on 2nd April. Initially, the protocols for prophylaxis and empirical use of oral interventions were released. Ministry of AYUSH also initiated some serious clinical studies in collaboration with CSIR, CCRAS (Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences) and other reputed institutes. The above mentioned four oral interventions are also subjects of randomized clinical trials (Randomized Controlled Trials), and these trials are at advanced stages.
The phase-1 of the in-vivo study at THSTI has been completed. Out of the said four interventions, analysis with respect to anti-viral activity of Aswagandha has been completed. The analysis in respect of other three interventions are in progress and the study results are expected to be announced shortly.
The National Medicinal Plants Board and The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences with the help of industry partners have developed the trial interventions.
“This is a proud moment for both Ministry of AYUSH and Department of Biotechnology”. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH said, “that this collaboration is providing land mark research in India”. Dr.Renu Swarup, Secretary of Department of Biotechnology also expressed her satisfaction about the on-going studies on SARS-CoV-2 virus.
DBT-THSTI and DBT-RCB jointly host a session on Antimicrobial resistance for VaiBhaV Summit 2020
Faridabad-based DBT’s autonomous institutes THSTI and RCB co-organized a session of the VaibhaV summit 2020 of the Government of India, themed antimicrobial resistance on 17th October with experts from India and overseas. The session was titled “Insights into the emergence and spread of clinically relevant antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens in India.” The experts discussed the prevalence of AMR pathogens, their evolution, mode of dissemination, and a potential strategy to overcome the crisis.
Corona Mobile Lab in Action - Covid-19 Warriors – Inside Look at India’s only fully equipped mobile testing lab
India's first mobile infectious disease diagnostic lab (I-lab) managed by the bioasssay laboratory of THSTI was featured in the "Life of Science" documentary commissioned by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
Life of Science with Pallava Bagla: COVID-19 Warriors (E)
An inside look into India’s and possibly the world’s only fully-equipped mobile COVID-19 testing laboratory. The mobile lab can travel to rural and far-away places carry out the novel COVID-19 testing. In this show, Dr Guruprasad Medigeshi a well-known Indian virologist explains the complexities of the diagnostic testing for you. We bring never seen before drone footage of the mobile lab travelling to villages. Pallava Bagla, a highly regarded science communicator, wears a full PPE suit to give you a feel of how tough it is for India’s COVID-19 warriors to fight the COVID-19 disease that continues to torment the world. Also a close look at the various diagnostic tests for the COVID-19 disease!
https://www.indiascience.in/videos/life-of-science-with-pallava-bagla-covid-19-warriors-e
DBT-THSTI recognized as a Global Bioassay Laboratory by CEPI to assess COVID 19 Vaccines
THSTI bioassay lab has been selected as one of the seven centralized network labs in the world to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine development by CEPI; the only Indian lab to be given this recognition. Vaccine manufacturers will work through CEPI and will have access to validated assays to measure the efficacy of vaccines from Phase I through Phase IIb trials in these labs. All seven labs will use the same protocols, assays, and analyze data in the same way so that any vaccine manufacturer can obtain data that will be acceptable to regulators. The other labs in the network are Nexelis, Canada; PHE, UK; ICDDR, Bangladesh; Q2 Solutions, USA; Viroclinics, Netherlands; and Vismederi, Italy.
Drs. Amit Awasthi and Sweety Samal awarded Intensification of Research in High Priority Area (IRHPA)-SERB grant to conduct animal studies in mice and hamsters to support COVID-19 antiviral drug discovery
Drs. Amit Awasthi and Sweety Samal have been awarded the Intensification of Research in High Priority Area (IRHPA)-SERB grant funded by Department of Science and Technology to support COVID-19 anti-viral research. This is a collaborative project with The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), THSTI and Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai. The project has been awarded for 3 years till 2023. THSTI will support in conducting animal studies both in mice and hamsters in screening and identification of promising COVID-19 antiviral drugs.
A Primer on Corona Virus Vaccines, all your questions answered by Dr. Gagandeep Kang, India’s best vaccine expert
By: Pallava Bagla
Date: August 6, 2020
Location: Faridabad, India
Corona Virus is tormenting & torturing India & the world. Scientists have unleashed a 'world war' on COVID-19 by making many candidate vaccines. India has several experimental molecules, some tested platforms with huge heritage, others like the RNA, DNA, Plasmid, and Vectored vaccine platforms that are literally untested in huge numbers, some genetically-modified candidates. Which one should you put the bets on? Dr. Gagandeep Kang, India's Vaccine Guru, the only one to have spearheaded making an indigenous vaccine candidly explains the biology, regulatory, human challenge, genetic engineering, and disease control strategies of these 20 plus candidate vaccines in a 60-minute primer for lay-persons on corona vaccines like never before to Pallava Bagla on August 6, 2020. She feels a vaccine will come. 'Corona harega, desh Jeetega'.
Watch in English: https://youtu.be/
Watch in Hindi 27 minutes: https://youtu.be/
FIND, India supplies ICMR-approved kits for COVID-19 testing at THSTI
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The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), India has supplied THSTI a total of five kits for conducting COVID-19 RNA amplification and RT PCR tests for 1920 samples. The test kits are among those approved for use by the Indian Council of Medical Research.
THSTI scientists develop a human monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV2
Dr. Nitya Wadhwa awarded the Seed Funding grant under the Affordable Approaches to Cancer bilateral research initiative
Dr. Nitya Wadhwa awarded the Seed Funding grant under the Affordable Approaches to Cancer bilateral research initiative
Dr. Ramandeep Singh awarded DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance's Senior Research Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Research category
Dr. Ramandeep Singh’s team has embarked on the journey to find answers to some very pressing questions about Toxin-Antitoxin [TA] systems in prokaryotes.
(i) What are the mechanisms by which TA systems contribute to M. tuberculosis pathogenesis?
(ii) How are TA systems regulated in M. tuberculosis?
(iii) Are these targets druggable in vivo?
Toxin-antitoxin [TA] systems represent up to 2.6% of the coding regions in prokaryotes and occur on both chromosomes and plasmids. TA systems consist of a proteinaceous toxin [T] and an antitoxin [AT]. The antitoxin can be either protein (in the case of Type II, IV, V and VI) or an RNA (in the case of Type I and III).
The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis encodes for close to 90 such TA systems. The majority of these TA systems belong to Type II. Several structures of M. tuberculosis TA complexes have been resolved but knowledge about their role in gene regulation and bacterial physiology is very limited.
“We will be using gene recombination, deep sequencing, protein-protein interaction, mass-spectrometry, high throughput screening, and animal models would help us to decipher the regulation and function of TA systems from M. tuberculosis,” says Ramandeep when asked about what he has in his toolkit that would help to study the TA systems.
DBT-THSTI files patent for novel DNA aptamers against spike protein of SARS-CoV-2
The humans have witnessed many a pandemic as diseases transmitted across communities and borders by microbial pathogens. Among these pathogens, throughout the history of pandemics, viruses posed a significant threat to public health. The recent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Considering the fatality of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, appropriate disease management strategies are required to curtail the disease transmission effectively. The development of vaccines or drugs against this novel virus, especially with the pandemic at our doors, has been challenging. More so, with the discovery of potent lead molecules or vaccine itself being both time taking and tedious processes. Rapid and accurate screening/detection of the population for the presence of infection may help in containing the disease. This requires a rapid and accurate diagnostic test.
To address the existing diagnostic gap for an antigen-based SARS CoV-2 detection assay, Dr. Tarun Kumar Sharma and his team at THSTI has developed a panel of SARS CoV2 spike binding aptamers. The panel was designed using the highly diverse (with 1015 unique molecules) aptamer library at THSTI. The spike protein was expressed and purified by Dr. Tripti Shrivastava also a scientist at THSTI.
Aptamers rival antibodies as their generation do not require an animal. Being a synthetic molecule, an aptamer does not show batch-to-batch variation. This means it can be easily scaled up. Aptamers developed by Tarun and his team can be used to detect the spike protein of SARS CoV2 in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs and saliva. These aptamers are being adapted to an appropriate diagnostic platform for rapid and accurate detection of SARS CoV2 infection.
It is evident from the current situation that there is an urgent and unmet need to develop a rapid antigen detection test for SARS CoV2. The aptamer technology might be one of the answers.
THSTI workshop for maternal and child health investigators on AI driven solutions
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Garbhavastha (गर्भावस्थभ), or pregnancy, invokes in a mother’s heart the first emotion to see the newborn someday, holding close to her. However, many mothers in India miss the realization of this dream as stillbirth and preterm birth (PTB) plague the country. So, to bring a healthy newborn to life, and avoid the complications of preterm or stillbirth, antenatal imaging remains essential. When the ultrasound allows the practitioner to visualize the fetus, it secures the baby’s and mother’s future by identifying any health issues.
It is what occupied the attention of researchers at THSTI on 5-6 March when a workshop on ‘Innovative Solutions for Maternal and Child Health Using Medical Image Analysis and Artificial Intelligence’ was conducted.
A part of collaborative efforts emerging from the GARBH-Ini and CALOPUS projects, the workshop entailed insightful discussions with expert panelists. GARBHINI-Ini, a unique collaborative interdisciplinary research initiative, investigates the multiple dimensions concerning preterm birth in India. While CALOPUS, an interdisciplinary UK-India collaboration, aims to automate the analysis of antenatal ultrasound images to allow the induction of required care for pregnant women in rural India. The common objective of improving antenatal care in India brought experts from the two groups together for two days, where they tried to address critical clinical queries.
Beginning from the identification of clinical and public health problems affecting mother and child healthcare (MCH) through AI and image-based solutions, the discussions also took into consideration the possible biological issues which could also be resolved. The panel discussed the diagnostic, assistive, and predictive needs necessary for making the automated image analysis a routine practice. Moreover, the feasibility of imaging technology in rural India, where a rich overlap of cultural and social contexts and beliefs exists, was also discussed along with the possible challenges. As proposing and implementing a solution is only half the battle won, the panelists also discussed the working and impact of the solution. Consequently, the novel methods of evidence generation to fast track technology solutions to the clinic were also deliberated upon, besides the possible barriers and funding matters. With a firm foundation for discussion laid on Day 1, Day 2 brought the participants closer to the actual imaging aspect of innovation. Participants were given a peek to the necessary nuances of the image analysis toolbox and enlightened upon possible opportunities in solving healthcare problems. Finally, the innovative workshop culminated with a discussion on taking the crucial innovation to the real-world and hands-on training and implementation of image analysis.
Did Winter come for us with COVID19?
Those who are diehard fans of Game of Thrones (GoT) series are familiar with the phrase “Winter is Coming”. It is the motto of Northern house Stark in the fictional kingdom of Westeros. The phrase "winter is coming," epitomizes the environmental changes followed by the harshness of the worst of situations. The White Walkers, the harbinger of the worst is the supernatural threat to humankind, dwell north of The Wall in Westeros.
On war metaphors, communicating uncertainty, avoiding stigmatizing language during COVID-19
The 4th webinar in the COVID19: Ask the Experts series hosted by DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance (India Alliance), THSTI, IAVI, and Nature India on 17 April aimed to understand and deconstruct the role that language plays when we talk about a pandemic. A “People's War”, “tackling the pandemic on a war footing” and “wartime president” are just a few in what is a long list of war metaphors being frequently used in the media and other places to highlight the impact and scale of the crisis. But is comparing a pandemic to war needed? How does the use of such metaphors influence public understanding of the health crisis and, ultimately, their response to the crisis?
There are no short-cuts in research: Dr. Amit K Pandey
Dr. Amit Kumar Pandey, an Assistant Professor at THSTI, Faridabad, talks about what fascinates him about his research and the lessons he learned along his scientific journey. He is a myco-bacteriologist and works towards understanding the biology of mycobacterial persistence.
DBT-THSTI becomes a member of the global COVID19 Clinical Research Consortium
Prof. Gagandeep Kang, the current Executive Director of the DBT funded Translational Health Science & Technology Institute has joined the governance of the COVID19 Clinical Research Consortium. She has joined as a member of the Facilitation Committee of the initiative. With this, THSTI becomes a member of this global coalition (https://covid19crc.org/
The COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition aims to accelerate clinical research for COVID-19 in resource-limited settings. The coalition brings together institutions and groups working to fast-track research that will provide evidence on COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, and case management in such settings. More details can be found on its website www.covid19crc.org.
The Facilitation Committee, as the governance body of the Coalition, will make decisions on the governance, funding, and activities of the COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition and guide the work of the secretariat. The Committee consists of a diverse group of eight to ten individuals with distinguished leadership in the field of science and broad experience related to clinical research and the pandemic response, and will include, to ensure continuity, representatives the three instigating organizations (MORU, DNDi, and IDDO) who facilitated the launch and initial design of the Coalition.
More details can be found in this commentary on Lancet:
https://www.thelancet.com/
THSTI students shine at DPSRU's International Conference of Cardiovascular Sciences 2020
Saurabh Chugh wins the best poster at EMBO India symposium
Our PhD student, Saurabh Chugh won the best poster award in the category cellular microbiology at the International EMBO India symposium 2020 themed "Mycobacterial heterogeneity and host tissue tropism " organized by NII and ICGEB from 11th -15th Feb. The work he presented was titled "Identification of metabolic pathways regulated by inorganic polyphosphate in Mycobacterium tuberculosis". Saurabh is pursuing his doctoral work under the supervision of Dr. Ramandeep Singh, Associate Professor, THSTI.
Jyoti Verma wins the Young Investigator Award at the 10th India Probiotics Symposium
Our PhD student, Jyoti Verma won the Young Investigator Award (1st Prize) at the 10th India Probiotic Symposium. The theme of the symposium was "Cutting Edge Science and Applications: Intestinal Microbiota and Probiotics". The symposium was organized by the Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation at The Suryaa, New Delhi on 29th February and 1st March 2020. Jyoti presented her work titled "Reversing Antibiotic Resistance in Probiotic and other Enteric Bacteria”.
Executive Director, Prof Kang delivers special lecture at Vigyan Bhawan on National Science Day 2020
Dr. Amit Awasthi has been selected for the S. Ramachandran-National Bioscience Award for Career development 2020-21
Dr. Amit Awasthi has been selected for the S. Ramachandran-National Bioscience Award for Career development 2020-21
THSTIs work on HIV prevention and therapy receives a boost from the Wellcome DBT India Alliance
Integrated disease management approaches are increasingly promoted as a means of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare for chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Novel anti‐HIV broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bnAbs) hold promise in the prevention and treatment of HIV‐1 infection. bnAbs play a protective role by preventing the virus’s entry by interfering with its binding with the receptor present on the host cell. These antibodies are called “broadly neutralizing” as they act against several of the sub-populations of HIV.
To develop an effective bnAbs-based preventive and therapeutic solution for HIV, it is also critical to assess people living with HIV (PLHIV) categorized into different risk groups. The HIV lab at THSTI has embarked on a project to assess the potential of lead bnAbs for prevention and therapy in the Indian subtype C viruses.
THSTI will be partnering with the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (ICMR- NIRRH), Mumbai; YR Gaitonde Center for AIDS Research & Education (YRG CARE), Chennai; T N Medical College & B Y L Nair Hospital, Mumbai; Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata; AIDS Vaccine Research & Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA and the Neutralizing Antibody Center at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA. The project will be led by Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya.
Here's the announcement on Wellcome/DBT India Alliance’s website: https://www.
In Memory of a life well-lived
On January 26, 2020, Professor Maharaj Kishan Bhan, who conceived and developed the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) passed away. The community of THSTI has lost its founder, mentor and enthusiastic champion.
For the pediatric community, Dr. Bhan was a clinician-scientist who changed pediatric policy and practice with his studies on oral rehydration, zinc and nutrition. As the Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, he developed biotechnology for agriculture and energy as well as for health, through transformative enabling structures and the creation of institutions focused on biological science that was no longer the business-as-usual approach of investigator led research at multiple government supported institutions. Without neglecting blue skies research, he facilitated the development of programs that focused on health deliverables important for India, whether for biomedical genomics or a dedicated strategy for development of appropriately trained manpower.
THSTI was born of discussions between scientists and medical researchers in India and internationally. Dr. Bhan sent his team to explore global best practice and recruited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a thought and hiring partner. He spent many Saturdays for iterative conversations with colleagues to conceptualize what an institute aimed at translational health should be and do. The need for scientists, doctors and engineers was clear but models for such inter-disciplinary teams within an institute were deemed unworkable within the constraints of governmental structures. It was emblematic of his out-of-the-box thinking that he not only managed to create the institute and identify priority areas that were ambitious, but also embedded it in the National Capital Region Biotech Science Cluster to be the nidus from which strong science and products would flow. He built for a future beyond his time.
He did this not only with institutions but also with people. There are few people at THSTI who have no personal stories of their time with Dr. Bhan. The mentoring, the insights and the direction he provided to each one of us changed how we thought about a field of research and the approaches we took to solve problems. His generosity with his time and his mind were foundational to THSTI and its people. As with his family, friends of all ages, colleagues and students, we will miss him and will cherish every memory of a remarkable man, always our friend and guide.
THSTI granted its first patent for a method for preparing a chitosan polymer for drug delivery
Rapid advances in nanotechnology have led to refinement of drug delivery strategies. It is noteworthy that the design and development of novel nanomedicines have higher market value and application prospects than that for conventional chemical drugs.
Drug-loading content and drug-loading efficiency are two important parameters of nanomedicines. Drug-loading content reflect the mass ratio of drugs to nanomedicines, and drug-loading efficiency reflects the utilization of drugs in feed during the nanomedicine-preparation process. The patent developed by THSTI discloses a water-soluble drug loadable, low molecular weight chitosan oligosaccharide nanoparticle, having efficient drug loading entrapment and release kinetics. Further, the method as set out in the present application is simple, utilises simple techniques, and does not involve costly instruments, industrially applicable and economic.
Chitosan is a straight-chain copolymer composed of D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine obtained by the partial deacetylation of chitin. Chitosan solubility, biodegradability, reactivity and adsorption of many substrates depend on the amount of protonated amino groups in the polymeric chain, therefore on the proportion of acetylated and non-acetylated D-glucosamine units. Thus chitosan, solubilized in dilute aqueous acidic solution (pH<6.5), convert glucosamine units into soluble form R-NH3+.
Chitosan nanoparticles was chosen as carrier, because chitosan nanoparticles have the advantages of improved drug solubility and stability, enhanced efficacy, and reduced toxicity. Its small size makes nanoparticles capable of passing through biological barriers in-vivo and deliver drugs to the target sites.
The team behind this has Dr. Amit Awasthi, Associate Professor, THSTI and Dr. Ramendrapati Pandey, now Assistant Professor, SRM Sonepat.
Dr. Shweta Saraswat awarded a travel grant by the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR)
Dr. Shweta Saraswat, Scientist, THSTI has been awarded a travel grant by the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR) to attend the 33rd International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR). The conference will be held at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel, Seattle, the USA from March 30, 2020 to April 3, 2020. The travel award comprises 1,500 US dollars.
Special NCR Cluster event organized by THSTI - Prof. VijayRaghavan discusses career opportunities for postgraduates in biological sciences
Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, spoke to the students from across NCR Biotech Science Cluster institutes and college students of NCR about career opportunities for postgraduates in biological sciences in his talk "Chance and Necessity in making a bright future" at THSTI, Faridabad on 20th December 2019. He went on to discuss the global situation of postgraduate careers (in biological sciences). He elaborated on what institutions can do for us and what we can do to further our career opportunities.
THSTI and Jiva Ayurveda sign an MoU: A Step forward to understand NAFLD among Indian patients
Fifth collaborators meeting of the Rotavirus Vaccine Impact Assessment and Intussusception Surveillance Study at THSTI
The fifth collaborators meeting of the Rotavirus Vaccine Impact Assessment and Intussusception Surveillance Study was held at THSTI on 17th December 2019. The meeting is the fifth one in the series of meetings that are held to discuss key issues, challenges, and progress made in the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in India. This one was attended by Vaccine Impact investigators from 30 hospitals across the country. The study is led by Prof. Gagandeep Kang, Executive Director, THSTI.
THSTI and AIIMS, Delhi co-organize One Day symposium at THSTI
THSTI and AIIMS, New Delhi co-organized a one-day symposium titled "Current Trends in Therapeutics and Diagnostics of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease" on 10th December 2019 at THSTI. The prime objective of the symposium was to deliberate on the current scenario of drug discovery and development as well as the status of biomarker discovery for Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) disease & non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Deliberations by the experts from academia, industry and medical institutions helped in improving the molecular understanding of disease progression and strategize for effective therapy. The panel discussion addressed the current status and pitfalls of the current drugs under clinical trial. Future strategies for therapy and biomarkers identification were also extensively deliberated.
The symposium was well received by academicians, clinicians and industry personals. Clinicians and researchers from AIIMS, RCB, ANNA UNIVERSITY, APEEJAY SATYA UNIVERSITY, BENNETT UNIVERSITY, CCRAS, CSIR-CDRI, DIPSAR, DPSRU, GASTROENTEROLOGY RAIPUR, ILBS, JAMIA HAMDARD, JNU, NII, NIMR and SHIVALAYA GASTRO CLINIC attended the symposium. Researchers from Dabur, Jiva Ayurveda, BogaR laboratories and Zydus also participated in the symposium. Overall 120 registered participants attended the event.
Professor Guruprasad P.
Suyasha Roy won G.P. Talwar Young Scientist Award 2019
Suyasha Roy, PhD Student of Dr. Amit Awasthi, won G.P. Talwar Young Scientist Award 2019 at the 46th Annual Meeting of Indian Immunology Society (IMMUNOCON 2019) held at DAE Convention Centre, BARC, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, Maharashtra from 14-16 November 2019. The award is given on the name of the Founder of Indian Immunology Society "Padam Bhushan Prof. G.P. Talwar" to recognize young researchers in the field of Immunology for their overall performance and achievements. Ms. Suyasha received a gold medal, a certificate and a cheque of Rs. 7000 as the award prize.
THSTI at DBT and BIRAC's Global Bio India 2019
THSTI was represented by a team of scientists, students and fellows at the first edition of Global Bio India 2019, the largest Bio event hosted in India to date to showcase opportunities in the Indian Biotechnology sector to the world. The event was important for THSTI as well, as the GARBH-Ini website and the Clinical Trial Toolkit developed by CDSA were both launched by Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT and other distinguished experts from the respective areas. Besides, being a part of sessions on Global Examples of Big Data in Health, Next 10 years for Vaccinology and the Director's Forum: Academic Assets Showcase, a team of students and scientists crewed the institute's stall showcasing THSTI's work on maternal & child health and diagnostics.
Team of scientists and students represent THSTI at IISF 2019 Mega Expo
A team of scientists, students, and fellows comprised the THSTI contingent at the Mega Expo of the fifth India International Science Festival from 5th to 8th November 2019 at Kolkata's Science City. In addition to posters showcasing THSTI's research programs, students hosted science games for school children who formed the major chunk of the visitors to the expo.
Suyasha Roy received AAI Travel Award from the American Association of Immunologists at IUIS 2019
Suyasha Roy, PhD student of Dr. Amit Awasthi (Immuno-biology Laboratory) received the AAI Travel Award from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) for giving an oral presentation on her PhD work at 17th International Congress of Immunology held from 19-23 October 2019 at China Convention Center in Beijing, China. Ms.Suyasha received a Travel Grant of 950 USD from AAI at the event.
Naseem Ahmed Khan awarded for the best poster at 8th Annual Conference on Navigating Translational Discoveries
Naseem Ahmed Khan, a PhD student working under the supervision of Dr. Guruprasad Medigeshi was awarded the best poster presentation award (Certificate and a cash prize of 250USD) for the research work entitled, “Anti-oxidative function of zinc protects from Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection” in International Chemical Biology Society 8th Annual Conference on "Navigating Translational Discoveries" held at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India on 2-4th November 2019.
National Unity Day (राष्ट्रीय एकता दिवस) observed at THSTI
National Unity Day (राष्ट्रीय एकता दिवस) was observed at THSTI's premises on 31st October 2019. This day was observed to reinforce our commitment as a fraternity, to strengthen the security, unity, and integrity of the country. The day not only commemorates the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of the national integration of independent India but also re-affirms the inherent strength and resilience of our people to withstand threats to the security, unity, and integrity of the country. To mark the occasion, Dr. T. Ramamurthy, National Chair, THSTI, and Dr. Guruprasad Medigeshi, Associate Professor, THSTI, administered the National Unity pledge (राष्ट्रीय एकता संकल्प ) in English and Hindi respectively in the presence of the entire fraternity.
THSTI Open Day to mark the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2019
THSTI celebrated its second Open Day for 2019, this time as a pre-event of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2019 to be held at Kolkata from 5th to 8th November 2019. One hundred fifty students and teachers from Government Senior Secondary School, Bhankri village and Manav Rachna International School in Faridabad and DAV, Sector 14 in Gurgaon attended. Prof. Shinjini Bhatnagar, Dean (Clinical Research) welcomed the students to THSTI, briefing them on our research, THSTI's Science Setu (outreach) program and IISF 2019. The students visited the Biorepository and Small Animal Facility, Central Instrumentation Facility for a demonstration by first-year PhD students. The visits were followed by a chalk-talk session by Dr. Tarun Kumar Sharma (in Hindi) and Ms. Hina Lateef Nizami, a PhD student (in English). A science poetry session and painting competitions were organized for our young visitors.
THSTI team participated in DST-CII India Netherlands Technology Summit, 15-16th October 2019, New Delhi
This year, India celebrated the 25th edition of Technology Summit, with the Kingdom of Netherlands being the partner country. DST-CII Technology Summit was inaugurated jointly by H.M. King Willem – Alexander, King of Netherlands and Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Health, Government of India on 15th October 2019 at Hotel J W Marriott, Aerocity, New Delhi.
The Summit had 1000+ delegates, 190+ delegates from the Netherlands, and over 200+ speakers from across the globe to deliberate on topics like Emerging Technologies for Agriculture, Water & Health, Design for Societal Challenges, Sustainable solutions for Waste Management and many more. This high-profile bilateral platform was formed to provide an opportunity to industry, institutes and government agencies from India and Netherlands to interact with each other. The forum was to forge partnerships, co-create joint ventures, and explore new avenues for collaborations. Prof. Gagandeep Kang was invited as speaker/panelist in the affordable health care session; 2a. Value track approach for affordable and innovative health care partnerships. In addition, she co-moderated the session Roundtable on Vaccines and Therapeutics along with Mr. Thijs Veerman (CEO, Operational Director, Progress-executive services (EXS). The leaders from different sectors (science, government, NGOs, industry, policymakers, regulators) joined in 3600 roundtable discussion to define opportunities in the healthcare and life science sector to broaden strategic collaborations between Dutch and India ecosystems, clusters and campuses. The participation of THSTI in this tech summit is an important starting point for possible collaboration and cooperation with Netherlands major key players in R&D. Drs. Dinesh Mahajan, Niraj Kumar, Sanjay Banerjee and Sweety Samal participated in B2B discussions in the area of vaccines, AMR, biotherapeutics to explore opportunities for existing and new strategic partnerships with Dutch R&D stakeholders.
Global Bio-India Summit 2019
Sampoorti-Poorti System on display at the Ayushman Bharat Conclave
The Sampoorti-Poorti System was on display at the Ayushman Bharat Conclave at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Sampoorti-Poorti System for post-surgical prosthetic rehabilitation of breast cancer patients who undergo mastectomy was developed at THSTI with support from BIRAC-DBT, Tata Trusts, numerous hospitals, and NGOs spread across India. This non-invasive explant comprises silicone gel-based prosthesis and accessories, available in different sizes and shapes, as per patient's needs.
हिन्दी दिवस 2019 का आयोजन
राष्ट्रीय हिन्दी पखवाड़े को मनाते हुए संस्थान में 11 एवम् 12 सितम्बर को विभिन्न कार्यक्रम आयोजित किए गये | वैज्ञानिकों, अधिकारियों, कर्मचारियों एवम् विद्यार्थियों ने उत्साह सहित भाग लिया | कविता पाठन, निबंध लेखन आदि प्रतियोगिताओं का आयोजन किया गया | हिन्दी सप्ताह के समापन समारोह में मुख्य अतिथि डॉक्टर कुमुद शर्मा एवम् कार्यकारी निदेशक डॉक्टर गगनदीप कंग ने सफल प्रतियोगियों को पुरस्कृत किया |
THSTI observes Sadbhavna Divas (सद्भावना दिवस)
THSTI fraternity celebrated Sadbhavna Diwas (सद्भावना दिवस) in its premises on 20th August 2019. The day marks promotion of national integration and communal harmony among people irrespective of religion, languages and regions. The idea behind observance of Sadbhavana Diwas is to eschew violence and to promote goodwill among people. THSTI National Chairs Dr. T. Ramamurthy and Dr. Madhu Dikshit administered the pledge in English and Hindi respectively.
Mr. Soheb Anwar awarded for the best oral presentation at Cardiovascular research Convergence-2019
Mr. Soheb Anwar Mohammed, PhD student working under the supervision of Dr. Sanjay K. Banerjee, has bagged the third best oral presentation award for the research work entitled “Allyl Methyl Sulfide Ameliorates Pressure Overload Induced-Cardiac Hypertrophy Via Modulation of Mitochondrial Dynamics” in Cardiovascular Research Convergence 2019 organized by the Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi held on 4 th August 2019.
Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) team visits THSTI
A team from the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global organization aimed at strengthening global epidemic preparedness visited THSTI on the 2nd of August 2019. The purpose of their visit was to get an overview of the infrastructure and bioassay and diagnostic facilities available at THSTI and to interact with the scientific community engaged in vaccine and assay development to understand the research capabilities at THSTI. The team also interacted with CDSA to get an overview of the training and research support services offered.
Dr. Tarun Sharma awarded the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) medal for Young Scientist, 2019
Its a proud moment for THSTI as Dr. Tarun Kumar Sharma was awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) medal for young scientist 2019. "The INSA Young Scientists Award, considered to be the highest recognition of promise, creativity and excellence in a young scientist, is made annually to those distinguished for these attributes as evidenced by their research work carried out in India. Till 2018, 819 young scientists have been thus recognized." - says the INSA India website. Dr Sharma has been awarded the medal in recognition of his "expertise in aptamer-based diagnostics and significant contributions in the field of TB diagnostics." The announcement notes that these tests appear to perform better than the existing nucleic acid amplification tests and antibody-based ELISA are in the process of commercialization. Dr. Sharma's is also involved in the process of developing aptamer-based assay for detection of snake venom.
The INSA Young Scientist Medal award carries a bronze medal, certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/-.
THSTI hosts Dr. Trevor Mundel, President for Global Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
“No other country among the world's emerging economies has the same combination of world-class biomedical research, effective translational research expertise, capacity to design and implement highly powered clinical trials, and capacity to produce health products that meet the stringent regulatory standards of the World Health Organization (WHO)", said Dr. Trevor Mundel, President of Global Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation a day before his visit to THSTI during a lecture on the role India can play in the global effort for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. His visit to THSTI was significant given the Foundation’s long-standing support for different projects at THSTI, primarily research focused on vaccine development and maternal & child health. After a quick roundabout around THSTI and RCB facilities, the Executive Director, Dean (Clinical Research), faculty and scientists presented an overview of work at THSTI and specific thematic areas.
CDSA supports launch of ICMR TB vaccine trial for healthy household contacts of TB patients
This is the first-ever government led vaccine trial after the BCG vaccine trial that was undertaken decades ago. After a detailed land scape analysis of the available vaccine candidates, two potential vaccines were shortlisted for a ICMR led Phase III trial of 12000 healthy house hold contacts of sputum smear positive TB patients. CDSA has provided study start-up support to all sites and oversaw the recruitment and vaccination of the first participant at National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD) New Delhi on 15th July 2019. The trial launch at NITRD, Delhi was attended by Dr. Balram Bhargava, Secretary, DHR & Director General, ICMR, Dr. Rohit Sarin – Director, NITRD, Dr. Manjula Singh- Scientist “E” EDC, ITRC-ICMR project team and CDSA team members - Dr. Monika Bahl, Ms. Shubhra Bansal, Mr. Tarun Puri and Ms. Jinisha Shukla. Dr. Bhargava emphasised the need in India where the disease is endemic for clinical trials to show that the vaccine is safe and effective. Participants will be recruited from twelve sites in six states—Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Dr. Sweety Samal represented THSTI in a mission to strengthen Indo-Dutch cooperation for vaccine development
Dr. Sweety Samal, Scientist with THSTI was a part of and the youngest in the Indian delegation during the Indian Virology & Vaccine Mission to Netherlands from 8th to 11th July. The visit was aimed at bringing together people from industry and academia in India and Netherlands to catalyze the process of bilateral development of research and development in the field of vaccines and therapeutics through collaboration and open dialogue, and steering the agenda of one health mission. The objective was to develop innovative collaborative strategies for coordination and execution of work done by researchers across India and Netherlands in the field of vaccines.
"The whole visit gave us an opportunity to come across the scientific flavors of institutes at Netherlands and investigators in the area of public health, vaccine and viruses. Furthermore, we came to know about the emerging technologies and more importantly about the One Health Initiative. Both the Indian and Netherlands participants acknowledged the unique mandate being pursued by THSTI and appreciated the vision and steps being taken by THSTI for highly integrative and collaborative programs both on national and international fora. The next steps would be to highlight the common area of research interest/themes between India and Netherlands to establish a bilateral scientific collaborative pathway, at the upcoming Tech Summit in October where Health will be an important topic of discussions. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) will also push both the governments for funding in collaborative grants to support PIs from both sides", said Dr. Sweety Samal on the visit. The delegation visited National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Intravacc, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) and other institutions.
The mission was organized by Netherlands Enterprise Agency from Dutch Embassy (RVO), Task Force Health Care (TFHC), Netherlands and Netherlands Business Support Office, India. The other organizations who were a part of the Indian delegation were Indian Immunological Limited, Gennova, Tergene and Hilleman Labs.
THSTI completes a decade - Celebrations marked by Prof. CNR Rao's talk, Presidential Address by DBT Secy and outreach event
THSTI completed its 10 years on 15th July 2019 with day-long celebrations that included Foundation Day address by Bharat Ratna Prof. C. N. R. Rao, Presidential address by DBT Secretary Dr. Renu Swarup and a report and address by Prof. Gagandeep Kang, the current Executive Director. As the fraternity celebrated, they were also joined by senior officials from DBT, faculty from RCB and other partner institutes.
On exhibition was THSTI's work spanning the first ten years. The celebrations also included a colloquium for senior PhD students who eloquently presented their work and a poster competition for senior PhD students and fellows.
An outreach program was organized which was attended by 200 students and faculty members from two schools (Govt. Senior Secondary School, Bhankri village, Manav Rachna International School, Charmwood Village) and six colleges (Acharya Narendra Dev College, Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women, Kirorimal College, Maitreyi College, Ram Lal Anand College, Hansraj college ) from across NCR who are part of the THSTI Science Setu initiative. The outreach event included visits to the facilities and labs in THSTI, poster competition for colleges and essay competition for schools.
The day ended with a cultural program put together by staff and students from THSTI.
THSTI completes a decade - Celebrations marked by Prof. CNR Rao's talk, Presidential Address by DBT Secy and outreach event
THSTI organizes July '19 edition of the NCR Cluster Seminar Series
THSTI organized the July 2019 edition of the NCR Cluster Seminar Series themed 'Importance of Modern Biology in Clinical Research' on 5th July 2019 at the NCR BSC Auditorium. A series of lectures were organized with a line-up of distinguished speakers from RCB, NBRC and AIIMS apart from the host institute.
Prof. Shinjini Bhatnagar (Dean, Clinical Research, THSTI) introduced the concept of clinical research to the audience largely comprising students and young fellows from the cluster institutes. This was followed by two sessions each with three lectures.
Session 1: Emerging State-of-the-art Techniques in Clinical Practice and/or Public Health: A Bench to Bedside for Mental Health Area
Speakers: Dr. Pravat K. Mandal (NBRC), Dr. Manjari Tripathi (AIIMS), Dr. Deepika Shukla (NBRC)
Session 2: GARBH-Ini: Bridging modern biology with classical epidemiology
Speakers: Dr. Pallavi Kshetrapal, Dr. Tushar Maiti (RCB), Dr. Ramachandran T.
THSTI, University of Oslo and IAVI come together under the GLOBVAC program to develop bNAbs for HIV prevention
THSTI with the University of Oslo (UiO) and International AIDS Vaccine Institute (IAVI) announced an award from the Research Council of Norway through the GLOBVAC (Global Health Vaccination and Research) program for the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) as HIV prevention products on 1st July 2019. Teams from three continents will work to engineer and optimize antibodies to extend their half-life, an improvement designed to increase the duration of antibody activity and potentially lead to longer intervals between protective doses.
Broadly neutralizing antibodies or bNAbs, being a low-cost HIV prevention approach are affordable for people from low and middle income countries (LMICs) like India. This development is particularly relevant for female sex workers (FSWs), a high-risk group when it comes to HIV infection. 'Existing HIV prevention methods, such as daily HIV prevention pills or condoms, can be stigmatizing or difficult for FSWs to negotiate in sexual encounters. Infection-blocking antibodies have several advantages: they can be given discreetly via subcutaneous injection and at the same medical visit as injections of long-acting contraceptives, a widely used method of birth control among AGYW in under-resourced settings' - notes the press release from IAVI.
The press release also quoted Prof. Gagandeep Kang, the current Executive Director, THSTI on the significance of this partnership for HIV prevention in India in particular and for neglected diseases and people in general. "This collaboration, supported by GLOBVAC, will not only help THSTI develop and diffuse affordable technology in improving bNAb half-life, breadth, and potency, but will also provide an avenue to promote application of these technologies to other disease indications that are also of public health importance to India and to the most neglected people and diseases globally", she said.
See the complete press release here-
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom/press-releases/2019/university-of-oslo-iavi-thsti-hiv-antibodies
Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured - B.K.S. Iyengar
Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) celebrated the 5th International Yoga Day at the NCR Biotech Science Cluster at Faridabad (Haryana). Hour-long yoga sessions were held for and attended by employees working in the cluster since one week culminating in a Yoga event on the 21st of June. Ms. Niti Singh who is a PhD student at THSTI was the instructor during these sessions. She was presented a token of appreciation by senior faculty from the institutes.
The event received enthusiastic participation of people from the two institutes who practiced various asanas and meditation during the hour-long session.
Going North-East: CDSA-THSTI organizes its 5th National Workshop on Regulatory Compliance for Accelerating Innovations at NIPER, Guwahati
Going North-East: CDSA-THSTI organizes its 5th National Workshop on Regulatory Compliance for Accelerating Innovations at NIPER, Guwahati
CDSA along with DBT, BIRAC, CDSCO conducted the fifth of six national workshops on regulatory compliance for accelerating innovations with NIPER Guwahati on June 13, 2019. Attended by all stakeholders, Dr. Alka Sharma (DBT) and Dr. K. Madangopal (NITI Aayog) addressed the distinguished gathering. There were 149 participants from 52 institutions (innovators, start-ups, pharma companies, medical professionals among others). Like the previous workshops in the series, all innovators got the opportunity to pose questions to the regulators present. This unique arrangement has helped provide more clarity and seek better cognizance thereby making the ‘Make in India’ dream possible for many in the biomedical space.
Fourth National Workshop on Regulatory Compliance for Accelerating Innovations at NIPER, Hyderabad
CDSA along with DBT, BIRAC, CDSCO conducted its fourth among the six national workshops on regulatory compliance for accelerating innovations with NIPER Hyderabad on May 2019. This was attended by all stakeholders. Both Dr. Alka Sharma (DBT) and Dr. Eswara Reddy (CDSCO) addressed the august gathering from New Delhi. Dr. S. Rajesh from NITI Aayog interacted with all participants at the meet. In attendance were 111 participants from 54 institutions (primarily innovators, start-ups, pharma companies, medical professionals, among others). All innovators were given a platform to directly interact with the regulators. This unique opportunity is believed to provide more clarity and seek better cognizance essential for accelerating innovations in the biomedical space in India.
Press coverage of the event can be found at: