ICMR licenses three indigenous medical technologies to Emcure, Biological E for commercialisation

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has licensed three indigenous biomedical technologies to leading Indian pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers for further development, manufacturing and commercialization.

The tech transfers, happening under ICMR’s Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative, have seen SHetA2, a novel anti-HPV therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), licensed to Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd., and two next-generation vaccine technologies against enteric bacterial infections, developed at ICMR–National Institute of Research in Bacterial Infections (ICMR-NIRBI), Kolkata, licensed to Biological E Ltd.

"ICMR is committed to ensuring that publicly funded research translates into products that improve health outcomes. Through initiatives such as Medical Innovations Patent Mitra, we are strengthening the pathway from scientific discovery to commercialization by fostering partnerships between researchers and industry. These technology transfers demonstrate the growing maturity of India's biomedical innovation ecosystem and represent another step towards achieving self-reliance in healthcare innovation" Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General, ICMR, said.

SHetA2, developed through a collaboration between Dr. Showket Hussain, ICMR National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) and Dr. Doris M. Benbrook, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, USA, is a first-in-class targeted therapeutic candidate that selectively eliminates HPV-induced precancerous and cervical cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. The technology has the potential to provide a safe, affordable and minimally invasive treatment option for cervical cancer.

The two vaccine technologies developed by Dr. Santasabuj Das and his team at ICMR National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (ICMR-NIRBI) include a fusion construct containing Salmonella typhi outer membrane protein as a promising next-generation typhoid vaccine candidate and a recombinant vaccine composition against Salmonella typhi/paratyphi and Shigella infections, designed to provide broader protection against major enteric bacterial pathogens.

Together, these technologies are expected to have the potential to strengthen India's efforts in cancer prevention and infectious disease control while advancing indigenous development of next-generation therapeutics and vaccines.

ICMR has established an integrated innovation ecosystem that supports healthcare technologies across the innovation continuum—from discovery and intellectual property protection to clinical validation, regulatory facilitation and commercialization. Through Medical Innovations Patent Mitra, innovators receive structured support for patent filing, technology transfer and licensing, while MedTech Mitra facilitates regulatory guidance, clinical evaluation and market access for indigenous medical technologies.