25.11°C Vancouver

May 6, 2020 2:04 AM -

India: PM Modi chairs meeting of task force on coronavirus vaccine, drug discovery; over 30 vaccines in different stages of development

Share On
india-pm-modi-chairs-meeting-of-task-force-on-coronavirus-vaccine-drug-discovery-over-30-vaccines-in-different-stages-of-development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the task force on coronavirus vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing and took a detailed review of the current status of India's efforts in these areas. Photo-ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the task force on coronavirus vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing and took a detailed review of the current status of India's efforts in these areas.

The review by the Prime Minister took note of the extraordinary coming together of academia, industry and government, combined with speedy but efficient regulatory process.

According to an official release, the Prime Minister desired that such coordination and speed should be embedded into a standard operating procedure.

It said over 30 Indian vaccines are in different stages of corona vaccine development with a few going on to the trial stages. The Prime Minister emphasized that what is possible in a crisis "should be a part of our routine way of scientific functioning".

"The Prime Minister took a detailed review of the current status of India's efforts in vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing," the release said.

Appreciating the scientific coming together of computer science, chemistry and biotechnology in drug discovery, the Prime Minister suggested that a hackathon be held on this subject, linking computer science to synthesis and testing in the laboratory.

The successful candidates from the hackathon could be taken up by the start-ups for further development and scaling up. He said that the innovative and original manner in which Indian scientists, from basic to applied sciences, have come together with industry is heartening.

"This kind of pride, originality and sense of purpose should dominate our approach going ahead. It is only then that we can be amongst the best in the world and not followers, in science," he said.

Noting that Indian vaccine companies are well known for their quality, manufacturing capacity and global presence, the release said they have also come across as innovators in early stage vaccine development research.

Indian academia and start-ups have also pioneered in this area."Similarly, in drug development three approaches are being taken. First, the repurposing of existing drugs.

At least four drugs are undergoing synthesis and examination in this category. Secondly, the development of new candidate drugs and molecules are being driven by linking high performance computational approached with laboratory verification. Thirdly, plant extracts and products are being examined for general anti-viral properties," the release said.

In diagnosis and testing, several academic research institutions and start-ups have developed new tests, both for the RT-PCR approach and for the antibody detection. In addition, by linking laboratories all over the country, capacity for both these kinds of tests have been enormously scaled up.

"The problem of importing reagents for testing has been addressed by consortia of Indian start-ups and industry, meeting current requirements. The current thrust also holds promise for the development of a robust long-term industry in this area," the release said.

Latest news

BCSep 16, 2025

Driver killed in crash in Langley

On September 15, 2025, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Langley RCMP responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision located near 256 Street and 48 Avenue Langley. The collision involved two sedans and despite life-saving efforts, one of the drivers succumbed to their injuries at the scene. The circumstances leading to this tragic collision remain under investigation, but impairment has been ruled out. “We have now seen five fatal collisions in Langley in just the past six weeks. Please slow down, stay focused and give yourself time to react,” said Sergeant Zynal Sharoom of the Langley RCMP.
freeland-resigns-from-cabinet-as-she-takes-on-new-role-as-special-envoy-to-ukraine
CanadaSep 16, 2025

Freeland resigns from cabinet as she takes on new role as special envoy to Ukraine

Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Chrystia Freeland as Canada's new special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine. While Freeland announced her resignation as transport minister on social media today, she will remain in the House of Commons as an MP until the next election. She left today's regular cabinet meeting smiling and talking with Carney, but neither answered questions from reporters stationed outside the room. Freeland has been one of the most prominent government advocates for Ukraine on the world stage, and spearheaded efforts to seize Russian financial holdi
police-arrest-man-on-canada-wide-warrant
CanadaSep 16, 2025

Police Arrest Man on Canada Wide Warrant

Surrey Police Service (SPS) officers have arrested a man wanted by Peel Regional Police Service on a Canada wide warrant for extortion and firearms offences. On July 11, 2025, a complainant contacted Peel Regional Police Service (PRPS) to report that they had allegedly been a victim of an extortion and shooting. Through the course of their investigation, Peel Regional Police investigators subsequently obtained a warrant for the arrest of Gurdeep Shergill. On September 7, 2025, SPS frontline members became aware of Shergill’s presence in Surrey. Working in conjunction with PRPS investigat
hate-crime-legislation-coming-soon-bail-and-sentencing-reform-to-follow-fraser
CanadaSep 16, 2025

Hate crime legislation coming soon, bail and sentencing reform to follow: Fraser

Justice Minister Sean Fraser says he will introduce new hate crime legislation in the coming days, with reforms on bail and violent crime sentencing to follow. Fraser says the legislation will go beyond campaign commitments of protecting religious institutions from "obstruction and intimidation" and include measures for the broader community. During the election, the Liberals promised to make it a criminal offence to obstruct access to or threaten people visiting a place of worship, school or community centre. Police reports of hate crimes have been on the rise since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas att
katzberg-sets-new-competition-record-defends-mens-hammer-throw-world-title-in-tokyo
WorldSep 16, 2025

Katzberg sets new competition record, defends men's hammer throw world title in Tokyo

Ethan Katzberg won gold with a competition-record throw at the world athletics championships today as Canada's recent dominance in hammer throw continued. Katzberg's second throw of 84.70 metres just stayed inbounds and shattered the previous championship record of 83.63. The 23-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., also eclipsed his own Canadian record as he defended his world title and added to his Olympic gold from the 2024 Paris Games. Germany's Merlin Hummel took silver at 82.77 metres and Bence Halasz of Poland earned bronze at 82.69 metres. Katzberg's performance came a day after C

Related News