India’s Indigenous TB Vaccine Candidate KochVac Enters Next Phase of Expert Evaluation
By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS
New Delhi, September 27, 2026: A group of scientists, healthcare professionals, industry representatives and tuberculosis specialists recently met in New Delhi to examine the future development pathway of KochVac, an indigenous tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate being advanced through a collaboration between IIT Bhubaneswar, the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, and TechInvention Lifecare Ltd.
The national expert deliberation was held on September 25, 2026, with discussions centred on how scientific research can be translated into a potential public-health intervention. The participating institutions are working together to take the vaccine candidate from research towards further translational development.
Research and Industry Join Hands
Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, highlighted the importance of bringing together expertise from different disciplines and strengthening partnerships between academic institutions and industry. He pointed to the collaboration between IIT Bhubaneswar and ILS, followed by technology transfer to TechInvention Lifecare, as an example of this approach.
Dr. Debasis Dash, Director of ILS, stressed that indigenous vaccine development requires coordinated contributions from research institutions, academia and industry. He also underlined the importance of specialist TB expertise in determining the scientific direction of the programme.
Scientific Foundation of KochVac Discussed
Dr. Syed Ahmed of TechInvention Lifecare outlined the collaboration behind the vaccine programme and presented the name KochVac, which refers to Robert Koch, associated with the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The research supporting the vaccine candidate was presented by Prof. Ashis Biswas of IIT Bhubaneswar and Dr. Sunil Raghav of ILS.
Following the presentations, TB specialists participated in a round-table session examining several technical aspects that could influence the candidate’s future development. These included antigen design, epitope selection, adjuvant strategy, animal models, formulation and programme-level suitability. The organisers said the expert inputs are expected to assist in defining the next stage of KochVac’s development.
Regulatory Process and Human Trials Planned
The discussions also highlighted the need for a carefully validated development pathway. Participants emphasised that an indigenous TB vaccine must ultimately address safety, efficacy, affordability and accessibility, alongside scientific and technological advancement.
According to the information provided by the institutions, TechInvention Lifecare plans to initiate the regulatory process, while human trials are targeted for the second half of 2027. These are planned milestones and do not indicate that human clinical trials have already commenced.
From Laboratory Research to Public-Health Application
The KochVac initiative illustrates an effort to connect academic research, biomedical science and industry-led development in the pursuit of an indigenous TB vaccine.
The next stages will depend on the regulatory pathway, further scientific evaluation and clinical evidence. The September deliberation provided a platform for experts to examine the scientific priorities and development challenges that lie ahead for the vaccine candidate.
By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS
