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In a bid to facilitate development of enhanced diagnostic to detect antimicrobial resistance (AMR) earlier, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sought proposals from innovators and developers who have developed a diagnostic test that can facilitate timely pathogen detection and susceptibility testing to undertake systematic validation or feasibility study of the test.
AMR is one of the major public health priorities in India. Rapid diagnostics enabling the early pathogen detection and antimicrobial susceptibility testing can equip healthcare professionals to understand the type of infection affecting the patient, analyse its scale and provide appropriate treatment in a timely manner. However, such reliable and quality validated rapid-diagnostics addressing needs of multi-tiered healthcare of India are lacking. Indigenously developed rapid diagnostics are urgently needed to fill this diagnostic gap and to contain AMR in the country.
ICMR’s task force on AMR diagnostics has invited proposals from the innovators and developers having developed a diagnostic test that can detect pathogens in a timely manner to undertake systematic validation of the test. The diagnostics test should have crossed the proof-of-concept stage and should be ready for DCGI regulatory trials.
Interested innovators and/or developers can submit concept proposals pertaining to AMR diagnostics to detect respiratory tract infections (lower and upper respiratory infections), differentiating bacterial from viral infections (including biomarkers), typhoid, sepsis, neonatal sepsis, acute febrile illnesses, urinary tract infections.
They can also submit proposals on diagnostics for a slew of pathogens viz. Carbapenem resistant bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae: Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella Typhi, Penicillin non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae, Candida auris, Colistin resistant Klebsiella, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE): Enterococcus faecium.
Proposals must provide a strong rationale for the diagnostic test developed, demonstrating a clear understanding of the context and needs of targeted levels of healthcare. The proposals should not be in the research phase and must address the diagnosis of AMR infections. Developed diagnostics should be innovative, indigenous and feasible for the Indian healthcare setting. Proposals detailing the ready-to-use diagnostics will be considered only. Last date for submission of the proposal is December 30, 2022.
ICMR has been supporting research on antimicrobial resistance through the Antimicrobial Resistance Research & Surveillance Network (AMRSN) since 2013.
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