The Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, has approved financial assistance to TechInvention Lifecare Limited, Navi Mumbai, for establishing a commercial-scale cGMP manufacturing facility for an indigenously developed 16-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-16). This initiative aims to strengthen India’s capability in next-generation conjugate vaccines and reduce long-term reliance on imported products.
The PCV-16 platform is based on 16 carefully selected pneumococcal serotypes linked to high rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), antimicrobial resistance, and mortality in India and other low- and middle-income countries. While 13 serotypes overlap with current global PCV platforms, the inclusion of three emerging serotypes—12F, 15A, and 22F—extends protection against evolving non-vaccine serogroups, enhancing the public-health relevance of this indigenous vaccine.
The project represents a strategic, evidence-driven reassessment of serotype selection to support cost-effective immunisation for children, older adults, and high-risk groups. Early-stage upstream and downstream development took place at TechInvention’s BSL-2 facility inside the BSC BioNEST Bio-Incubator at RCB Faridabad, followed by advancement to the company’s GMP-aligned high-containment R&D centre, ‘HORIZON’, in Navi Mumbai. An Indian patent has been filed to protect the unique serotype configuration and related process innovations.
With TDB’s backing, the programme will now transition to full-scale cGMP manufacturing, ensuring advanced conjugate vaccine technologies are developed, validated, and commercialised domestically. This is expected to boost India’s vaccine self-reliance, expand local biomanufacturing capacity, and lay the groundwork for future multivalent platforms.
TechInvention Lifecare Limited has steadily expanded its technical capabilities, accumulated over 15 patents, and is developing several indigenous vaccine candidates, including India’s first 6-in-1 meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The company has earned recognition from national agencies for its contributions to cutting-edge vaccine innovation.
