Seagull BioSolutions, is a startup that is working on new biological technologies. It might become the first government-funded company to initiate work on a vaccine for coronavirus disease. The Department of Science and Technology has confirmed that the firm is being funded to start the development of vaccine based on its Active Virosome (AV) platform.

The firm will be producing 2 types of AV agents — an AV expressing S-Protein of the SARS-CoV-2 that is called AV-S. Another one will be expressing structural proteins of the virus, called AV-SPs.

Vishwas D Joshi, MD, Seagull BioSolutions told TOI that it is a copyrighted technology, which is developed indigenously. It is basically nano molecules and can be customized to express any protein. They have tested it to produce proteins of other kinds of viruses in the past and currently are working on SARS-CoV-2.

The company is increasing the synthesis of both these agents’ up to 5mg levels to test their immunogenicity. After this is proven, they will undertake efficacy studies in a specific type of mice that are used as a model for SARS disease. Along with, a bioprocess for production of AV-agent will be established and the AV-agent will be produced in large scale with 1 lakh vaccine doses.

The DST said that in this emergency situation, the firm aims to complete the proof of concept within 80 days and finish the preclinical development. Also it wants to start Phase I trial by the end of 18-20 months.

The firm is based out of Entrepreneurship Development Center, Pune. It is also supported by the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of DST and is developing special diagnostic kits for COVID-19.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic kits are available in India are rapid and enable detection of active infection. But it cannot identify asymptomatic infections or those people who were exposed or infected with coronavirus in the past and did not suffer from the infection or have recovered from it or might be still spreading the virus.

DST also said that immunodiagnostic kits can help detection of these infections. Hence, the firm has initiated efforts to produce Immunodiagnostic kits for coronavirus. These tests will enable healthcare researchers to observe and monitor the spread of coronavirus more correctly.

The firm expects that the Immunodiagnostic kits to be ready for field trials by the end of August 2020 and get approved by the end of 10-11 months.

Source: ET Healthworld