Centre undertook Hackathon for computational COVID-19 drug discovery

Government of India has stated that in order to succeed against the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of parallel efforts are being taken. The move is being done globally and nationally. Indian start-ups are working on COVID-19 vaccine candidates in the very strong Indian vaccine industry.

The information was passed by Dr. Vinod Paul, Member NITI Aayog, and Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI.

In the step to find vaccines for COVID-19, there are three kinds of attempts being made.

The first attempt is the indigenous efforts.

The second is globally collaborative efforts where Indian organizations are taking a lead role

The third one is Indian participation in global efforts.

The Indian scientists are making efforts at risk-mitigation for manufacturing and stockpiling.

Also on drug discovery, the scientific efforts take three approaches.

The first method is the repurposing of extant drugs to see how effective they are against the virus and in mitigating the consequences of the disease.

Secondly, the Phyto-pharmaceuticals and extracts from medicinal plants are being tested.

In the third method, new drug discovery includes a ‘Hackathon’ for computational drug discovery is being undertaken.

A conglomeration of research efforts has resulted in new tests and testing kits.

These include new tests for the detection of the virus and also for antibody detection. The latter is being used for serological studies,

The regulatory system has been closely engaged, combining speed with quality.