Under the scheme to promote Research and Innovation in the Pharma-MedTech sector (PRIP), 41 research and innovation projects have been approved with financial assistance of approximately ₹1,600 crore.
These projects are expected to attract an additional ₹3,020 crore in private investment, bringing the total R&D investment in these projects to around ₹4,620 crore.
The approved projects encompass various stages of the pharmaceutical and medical technology innovation pipeline, such as new drug discovery, clinical development, and innovative medical technology.
PRIP Projects Focus on Advanced Health Technologies
The projects cover a wide range of pharma and MedTech innovations aimed at addressing public health needs and developing technologies with potential global applications. These include an antibacterial treatment for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections, an exosome-based regenerative therapy for corneal disease, an in-vivo CAR-T platform and patient-derived breast cancer organoids.
Other projects focus on programmable RNA-targeting antiviral technology, portable plasmonic-PCR for rapid infection diagnosis at the point of care, and a microfluidic platform for TB detection.
Startups, MSMEs and Large Firms Among Approved Projects
Out of the 41 approved projects, 12 are in the initial stage, while 29 are in the advanced stages of development. Startups and MSMEs are working on 19 projects, whereas large companies are handling 22 projects. By category, 27 projects focus on new drugs, five on complex generics and biosimilars, and nine on novel medical devices.
This portfolio includes projects associated with Biocon, Bharat Biotech, Pandorum Technologies, Cellogen Therapeutics, Aurigene Oncology, Sun Pharma, Wockhardt, Zydus, Mankind Pharma and Bugworks Research.
Six PRIP Projects Approved Under Strategic Priority Areas.
Six projects have been approved under this strategic priority framework, covering areas such as bacterial pneumonia and meningitis, dengue, influenza, and next-generation TB vaccines.
Under PRIP, additional support is provided for research in critical areas such as vaccines for rare and neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pathogens with epidemic potential, and vaccine-preventable diseases. The remaining applications from the first round are currently being evaluated, with more projects expected to be approved and announced next month.
(PIB)
