Wipro partners with Hyderabad startup to enhance vaccine safety assessment

Information technology (IT) services company Wipro on Wednesday said it has partnered with Hyderabad based startup Transcell Oncologics to transform vaccine safety assessment using artificial intelligence (AI). 

The partnership, as per a statement, will enable Wipro's HOLMES platform to combine its advanced AI capabilities with Transcell’s stem cell technology to improve safety of global vaccine immunisation programmes.  

Applying AI to human stem cells will help create a solution capable of predicting the adverse neurovirulent impact caused by vaccination on a vaccine candidate. The adaptable solution being developed can be integrated into any existing workflow, including quality control tests in vaccine production, batchwise release and related housekeeping safety evaluation assays. 

“Enhancing neurovirulence safety assessment through AI, without the need for animal-based testing, is a huge step forward. This innovative technology has allowed us to embrace a more humane approach and simultaneously increased the effectiveness of vaccine testing. Our partnership with Transcell Oncologics will bring the best of AI and stem cell technology to users, enabling customers to reduce their go to market timeline and accelerate the safe vaccination programme,” Harmeet Chauhan, global head of engineering and R&D at Wipro, said. 

With this alliance, the company aims to develop a series of solutions that will offer viable alternatives to animal-based testing to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and consumer goods, including cosmetics. 

Wipro HOLMES already has offerings that apply AI for drug repurposing and Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) based platform for biodefense. 

“This exciting alliance merges the biotechnology capabilities of Transcell Oncologics’s Transtoxbio vertical with the advanced AI capabilities of Wipro HOLMES to derive wholistic insights from human surrogate in vitro platforms employed. This breakthrough process will open up new possibilities in the life sciences industry and accelerate innovation that is vital to saving lives,” Subhadra Dravida, founder and CEO of Transcell, said. 

The proposed solution by Transcell-Wipro HOLMES for neurovirulence received an award at the ChemTECH BioPharma World.IE Conference, a biopharma gathering attended by multiple CXOs, the government’s National Biopharma Mission and venture advisors.