Gennova Bio joins CEPI to develop vax against Nipah virus

New Delhi: Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, on Tuesday announced a partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) for advancing the development of self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) vaccine against the Nipah virus.

The initiative is supported with funding of up to $13.38 million from CEPI, according to a statement from the Pune-based company.

Gennova will also team up with US-based Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI), also a CEPI partner, to use its cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology to optimise the properties of proteins derived from the virus that could stimulate the immune system and serve as optimal vaccine targets for Gennova to investigate in the lab and in the clinic, the company said.


Nipah virus, one of the deadliest pathogens known to infect humans, has so far been confined to South and Southeast Asia, but the fruit-bat vector is found in large geographical areas across the globe, covering a population of more than 2 billion people.