ICMR isolates monkeypox virus; invites companies to develop vaccines, diagnostic kits

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday issued an “Expression of Interest” for the development of candidate vaccines and diagnostic kits against monkeypox, declared as a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organisation.

The bids were invited close on the heels of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune successfully isolating a clinical specimen of the virus from one of the Indian patients.

The NIV has in its possession monkeypox virus isolates that are useful for development of a vaccine and diagnostic kits, says the bid document. The research institute will provide expert guidance and technical support on R&D and product development. The virus strain will be handed over to the interested Indian vaccine and diagnosis manufacturers.

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Asked why the exercise began so early NIV senior scientist Pragya Yadav said there was no serological test for monkeypox available in the market. “Only the smallpox vaccine would work against monkeypox, but we don’t have any access to the smallpox vaccine,” she told DH.

The genomic sequence of the Indian strain has a 99.85% match with the West African strain circulating globally.

India currently has a handful of monkeypox cases reported from Kerala and Delhi. But considering the disease’s wide international spread, the Union Health Ministry has asked the states to increase surveillance at airports and prepare isolation facilities. Simultaneously discussions have been initiated with vaccine manufacturers.

“We are already engaging with the potential players,” VK Paul, member of NITI Aayog and chairman of the National Task Force on Covid-19 said. “We have a strong presence of our vaccine capacity, so that’s also under the government’s active consideration.” India has designated 15 labs to diagnose monkeypox.

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Last Saturday, the WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 16,000 cases and five deaths have been reported from 75 countries as against 3,040 cases from 47 nations a month ago.

WHO’s assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where the risk is high.

Yadav said the monkeypox virus was an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus having two distinct genetic clades - the central African (Congo Basin) clade and the west African clade.

"The recent outbreak which has affected several countries leading to a worrisome situation is caused by the West African strain which is less severe than Congo lineage reported earlier. The cases reported in India are also of the less severe West African lineage," she said.