The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued a call for Expressions of Interest (EoI), seeking qualified organizations, companies, and manufacturers to join forces in developing and producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to combat the Nipah viral disease.
Nipah virus (NiV) poses a significant zoonotic threat in India, marked by recurring outbreaks since 2001. The disease’s fatality rates are alarmingly high, ranging from 40% to 75%, depending on the quality of medical care available. The Bangladesh clade (NiV-B), the strain circulating in India and Bangladesh, is particularly concerning due to its frequent person-to-person transmission and elevated mortality.
Despite ongoing global research and development efforts, there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment available for Nipah virus.
The ICMR emphasizes the critical need for readily available monoclonal antibody stockpiles in India. Given Nipah’s extremely high fatality rate and the lack of approved vaccines, mAbs stand out as the most viable immediate biomedical countermeasure.
Monoclonal antibodies also hold promise as a post-exposure prophylaxis for individuals at high risk, such as healthcare professionals exposed without adequate protection, close family contacts, or laboratory personnel following accidental exposure. Early administration has shown potential to prevent disease onset in animal studies.
Furthermore, if administered early in the infection course, monoclonal antibodies could offer therapeutic benefits by lowering viral load and slowing disease progression, thereby complementing essential critical care.
This initiative by ICMR aims to establish India’s own robust medical defenses against the Nipah virus, specifically focusing on monoclonal antibodies. The goal is to collaborate actively with Indian industry partners to create an indigenous monoclonal antibody platform. This not only guarantees timely and dependable access during outbreaks but also strengthens the nation’s overall readiness for future viral threats.
The ICMR–National Institute of Virology (ICMR–NIV) in Pune has already made significant progress in this research and development direction, with experimental work reaching an advanced stage.
Under the latest directive, ICMR and its affiliated institutes will provide crucial expert guidance and technical support throughout all phases of research and development for creating monoclonal antibodies against Nipah viral disease. This comprehensive oversight is expected to significantly fast-track product development and its subsequent commercialization.
India’s first documented Nipah outbreak occurred in Siliguri, West Bengal, in 2001, affecting approximately 66 people, largely through hospital-based transmission. Another outbreak followed in 2007 in the Nadia district. After a decade-long lull, the virus resurfaced in 2018 in Kerala’s Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, leading to 23 confirmed or probable cases and a devastating fatality rate of around 91%.
Since then, Kerala has experienced several additional episodes: a single case in Ernakulam in 2019, a fatal case in Kozhikode in 2021, six confirmed cases with two deaths in Kozhikode in 2023, and new spillovers in Malappuram in 2024 without secondary transmission. In 2025, four confirmed cases were reported between April and July, including the first cases in Palakkad, two of whom tragically died.
These frequent re-emergences underscore the ongoing threat of Nipah in South India, particularly in Kerala. While enhanced surveillance and rapid containment measures have successfully prevented large-scale transmission, the risk remains persistent.
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-synthesized antibodies designed to mimic the body’s natural immune response. They specifically target and neutralize pathogenic proteins or antigens in response to an infection.