New Delhi, Jul 27 (IANS): The Indian Council of Medical Research on Wednesday invited Expressions of Interest for the development of vaccine and diagnostic kits for monkeypox.

This comes after several cases of monkeypox were reported in India.

"Monkeypox virus is isolated by ICMR-NIV for the first time in India and ICMR has invited an EoI, proposing to handover the virus strain to interested Indian vaccine and IVD industry partners for the development of indigenous vaccine and diagnostic kits for monkeypox," an ICMR official said.

The EoI has been invited from the experienced vaccine manufacturers, and in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit manufacturers for joint collaboration in developing of vaccine candidate against monkeypox. The last date for submission of EOI is August 10.

"Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, invites Expression of Interest (EOI) through email from the experienced vaccine manufacturer/pharma companies/R&D, Institutions/In-vitro Diagnostic (IVD) kit manufacturers for joint collaboration in the following two categories of - development of vaccine candidate against monkeypox disease and development of diagnostic kits for diagnosis of monkeypox virus infection," the ICMR letter of invitation read.

So far, India has reported four confirmed cases of monkeypox - three in Kerala and one in Delhi.