New, Rs 50-crore HIV vaccine design programme launched

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New, Rs 50-crore HIV vaccine design programme launched

Anuradha Mascarenhas Thu Mar 03 2011, 03:12 hrs Pune:

With an estimated 7,100 people getting infected with HIV every day and India

home to 2.7 million HIV positive people, the government on Wednesday launched a

new HIV vaccine design programme in the country. It was also announced that a

new HIV Vaccine Laboratory will now come up in New Delhi.

M K Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, said that autonomous institute

Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute (THSTI) and the

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) have agreed to jointly establish,

operate and fund an HIV vaccine design programme in the country.

The programme will primarily focus on one of the greatest scientific challenges

of AIDS vaccine design and development: the elicitation of antibodies capable of

neutralising a broad spectrum of circulating HIV variants — a problem that stems

in large part from the almost unparalleled mutability of HIV. The programme will

cost Rs 50 crore over five years.

Dr Rajat Goyal, director, country and regional programmes, IAVI, told The Indian

Express that Rs 19.3 crore will be spent by IAVI on the programme. This is one

of the key partnerships with the government to share scientific knowledge that

will boost translational research, Goyal said.

THSTI director Dr Dinakar Salunke said there will be exchange of ideas in a

mutually beneficial agreeement. A global search is underway to appoint

scientists and directors. " There will be three principal investigators and 15

scientists, " Goyal added.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/New--Rs-50-crore-HIV-vaccine-design-programme-\

launched/757071/