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 Due to inadequate number of responses received during the previous call for Expression of Interest (EoI), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has decided to reopen the call for EoI for Joint collaboration for the 'Development and manufacturing of Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) against Nipah viral disease'.
Given the very high case fatality and absence of licensed vaccines, mAbs represent the only currently feasible biomedical countermeasure. Nipah virus has emerged as one of the most important zoonotic threats for India, with repeated outbreaks recorded since 2001.
The previous call for EoI dated October 27, 2025 was published on the ICMR website with a closing date of November 06, 2025.
Closing date for submission now is December 17, 2025.
Interested eligible vaccine manufacturers, pharma companies and R&D Institutions have been urged to submit their interest as per the instruction given in the EoI document. Companies which had already submitted the proposal or application during the previous call, need not submit again. Their earlier proposal shall be considered during the process of current evaluation.
ICMR is willing to collaborate with eligible organizations, companies, and manufacturers for the ‘Development and manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies against Nipah viral disease’. The company would be granted rights to undertake further development, manufacture, sell, and commercialize the technology/product ‘monoclonal antibodies against Nipah viral disease’ or undertake further R&D and commercialize the end product(s)/technology.
The ICMR-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune, one of the constituent institutes of the ICMR, has expertise in various techniques, methods and information relating to aforesaid technology which could be used in R&D for development of mAbs against Nipah viral disease.
ICMR-NIV, Pune has already initiated R&D in this direction, with experimental work at an advanced stage. The ICMR-NIV has state-of-art laboratory infrastructure including BSL-3 & BSL-4 facility and the team possesses expertise in outbreak investigations, surveillance, virological and molecular characterization, vaccine candidate development through virus inactivation and molecular methods, and conducting preclinical trials in suitable animal models. The institute also specializes in laboratory testing to evaluate antibody and immune responses in clinical trials at different phases I, II & III.
The infrastructure and resources available at ICMR institutes, as indicated above at ICMR-NIV will be leveraged for joint R&D and preclinical studies.
In addition, in patients presenting early during infection, mAbs may offer a therapeutic benefit by reducing viral load and limiting progression, thereby complementing supportive critical care. Maintaining ready access to such antibodies ensures that India can act swiftly during an outbreak.
Globally, research and development efforts are advancing but no licensed vaccine or antiviral is yet available. Several vaccine platforms are under investigation, including those supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with one candidate having progressed to mid-stage human trials with India identified as a key site. Similarly, research at other international institutes are ongoing for developing vaccine candidates. However, these are still years away from licensure. On the therapeutic front, mAbs have emerged as the most promising option. The best studied candidate is m102.4, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the G glycoprotein of Nipah virus, which prevents viral entry by blocking its interaction with ephrin-B2/B3 receptors. m102.4 has shown strong protection in animal models and has been found safe in phase 1 clinical trials.
Though definitive human efficacy data are lacking, the antibody has been used under compassionate protocols in Australia and was also made available to Kerala during recent outbreaks.
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