ICMR Signs Agreements to Boost India's Phase 1 Clinical Trials for New Drug Development

This initiative aims to strengthen India’s clinical research ecosystem and position the country as a leader in pharmaceutical development.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has signed a Memoranda of Agreements (MoAs) with several sponsors under its Network of Phase 1 Clinical Trials, marking India’s entry into first-in-human clinical trials for four new molecules.

These collaborations include research on a small molecule for multiple myeloma with Aurigene Oncology.

Further, it also includes the development of a Zika vaccine with Indian Immunologicals, a seasonal influenza virus vaccine trial with Mynvax, and a study on CAR-T cell therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia with ImmunoACT.

This initiative, announced by the Union Health Ministry, aims to strengthen India’s clinical research ecosystem and position the country as a leader in pharmaceutical development.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda emphasized that the collaboration between ICMR and key industry and academic partners is a significant milestone in making cutting-edge treatments more affordable and accessible to citizens.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, secretary of the department of health research and director general of ICMR, stated, “This collaboration reflects our commitment to advancing clinical research in India through strategic public-private partnerships. Establishing Phase 1 clinical trial infrastructure is crucial for fostering the development of indigenous molecules and innovative treatments.”

He also noted the ICMR’s role in supporting the government's vision of a "Viksit Bharat" and referenced ICMR’s contribution to the development of Covaxin in partnership with Bharat Biotech.

The ICMR Network for Phase 1 Clinical Trials includes four institutions across India such as KEMH & GSMC in Mumbai, ACTREC in Navi Mumbai, SRM MCH&RC in Kattankulathur, and PGIMER in Chandigarh.

The network is coordinated by a central unit at ICMR headquarters in New Delhi and is designed to enhance India’s capacity for early-phase clinical trials by providing the necessary infrastructure and manpower at each site.

Recent Developments by ICMR

In August, the Indian Council of Medical Research developed an affordable tuberculosis (TB) testing technology that offers a rapid and cost-effective method for identifying TB using a patient’s sputum sample.

It is developed by ICMR's regional center in Dibrugarh, Assam, as the 'CRISPR Cas12a-based TB detection system'.

The test is priced at just INR 35 per sample, making it accessible for large-scale use, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Moreover, in the same month, the ICMR initiated a significant project to enhance emergency care nationwide. This project, officially launched in Puri, focuses on improving the immediate treatment of critical conditions such as heart attacks and brain strokes. The project will be piloted in five locations: Puri (Odisha), Ludhiana (Punjab), Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh), Vadodara (Gujarat), and Pondicherry.

Likewise, ICMR in July, announced to development of a TB testing system, calling it to be the cheapest in the world.

This system, developed by the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Center Northeast (RMRCNE) Institute in Dibrugarh, is expected to be affordable, faster, and user-friendly testing technology for tuberculosis (TB) detection.