NOV 21: The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has approved financial assistance for M/s TechInvention Lifecare Limited, Navi Mumbai, to establish a commercial-scale cGMP facility for manufacturing an indigenously developed 16-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-16). The initiative aims to strengthen India’s capabilities in next-generation conjugate vaccines and reduce long-term reliance on imported products.
The PCV-16 platform incorporates 16 strategically selected pneumococcal serotypes associated with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), antimicrobial resistance and high mortality, particularly in India and other low- and middle-income countries. While 13 serotypes align with current global PCV platforms, the inclusion of emerging serotypes—12F, 15A and 22F—extends protection to evolving non-vaccine serogroups, enhancing the vaccine’s public-health relevance.
The project is built on a science-driven reassessment of serotype priorities to support cost-effective immunisation for children, older adults and high-risk populations. Early R&D work was carried out at TechInvention’s BSL-2 facility within the BSC BioNEST Bio-Incubator, RCB Faridabad, and later advanced at the company’s GMP-aligned high-containment R&D centre, ‘HORIZON’, in Navi Mumbai. An Indian patent has been filed to protect the innovative serotype design and associated process technologies.
With TDB’s support, the project will now transition to full-scale cGMP manufacturing, enabling indigenous development, validation and commercialisation of advanced conjugate vaccines. This is expected to significantly enhance India’s vaccine self-reliance, expand domestic biomanufacturing and pave the way for future multivalent platforms.
TechInvention Lifecare, which holds over 15 patents and is developing multiple home-grown vaccine candidates—including India’s first 6-in-1 meningococcal conjugate vaccine—has been recognised for contributions to next-generation vaccine innovation.
TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak described the PCV-16 initiative as a “high-impact, next-generation technology” that strengthens India’s immunisation ecosystem. The company’s promoters said the support will accelerate affordable, broad-coverage vaccine production for India and LMICs.
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