(Newly Built DBT-NCCS Central Drugs Laboratory for Covid Vaccine Testing, Pune)
Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and considering the enhanced production of Covid Vaccine, the Government proactively took the decision of setting up additional laboratories to facilitate expedited testing / pre-release certification of the vaccine.
Currently, the nation has a Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) at Kasauli, which is the National Control Laboratory for testing and pre-release certification of Immunobiologicals (vaccine and antisera) meant for human use in India.
Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, has set up two Vaccine testing facilities at its Autonomous Research Institutes : National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, and National Institute of Animal Biotechnology,(NIAB), Hyderabad, as Central Drug Laboratory (CDL), for batch testing and quality control of vaccine. Accordingly with funding support provided by the PM-CARES Funds trust, two new vaccine testing facilities have been set up as Central Drug laboratories at DBT- NCCS, and DBT-NIAB, according to a PIB release.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Department of Biotechnology has been in the forefront contributing to various Covid-19 related activities including Vaccine Development, Diagnostics and testing, bio-banking and genomic surveillance, in addition to fundamental research and also building a strong ecosystem for translational research, DBT-NCCS and DBT-NIAB have been the pillars for many aspects of infectious disease related work in India and have contributed to advancement of cutting-edge research output in frontier areas of Biotechnology relevant to human health and disease.
The facility at NCCS, Pune, has now been notified as Central Drugs Laboratory for testing and lot release of COVID-19 vaccine vide. Gazette notification issued by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on June 28, 2021.The facility at NIAB, Hyderabad, is likely to receive necessary notification shortly.
(DBT-NIAB Central Drugs Laboratory for Covid Vaccine Testing, Hyderabad)
With generous support from PM CARES Fund trust in a very short span of time, both the institutions through relentless efforts have set up the state-of-the-art modern facilities for this purpose. The facilities are expected to test approx 60 batches of vaccine per month. The facilities are geared up to test existing Covid-19 vaccine and other newer Covid-19 vaccines as per demand of the nNation. This will not only expedite the vaccine manufacture and supply but also be logistically convenient considering that both Pune and Hyderabad are the two Vaccine manufacturing hubs.