National Acclaim for KIMS: ICMR Appreciates Contribution to Phase III Dengue Vaccine Trial

he Clinical Trial Team of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar, has been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research, Government of India, and Director General, ICMR, for its outstanding contribution to a landmark Phase III indigenous dengue vaccine clinical trial.

The Certificate of Appreciation was rewarded at ICMR Headquarters, New Delhi, in recognition of the team’s exemplary contribution to the successful conduct of the multi-centric study evaluating the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of DengiAll, a live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine developed by Panacea Biotec Limited to the team lead Prof. (Dr.) Sonali Kar, Head, Department of Community Medicine. The Co-Investigators comprised of Dr. P. C. Samantaray, Consultant, Clinical Epidemiological Unit (CEU); Prof. (Dr.) Lalatendu Mohanty, Department of Medicine; Prof. (Dr.) Dipty Pattnaik, Department of Microbiology; Prof. (Dr.) Sourav Patra, Central Laboratory; and Dr. Raj Patro, Molecular Laboratory, KIMS. The Sub-Investigator team comprised Dr. Angana Ray (Senior Resident), Dr. Gouri Kumar Rath, Dr. Akula Shalem Raja, and Dr. Ritwik Raj (postgraduates), Department of Community Medicine, KIMS.

The trial was initiated at KIMS in August 2024 as part of a nationwide multicentric study conducted across 21 premier sites in India, including AIIMS, state level institutions and ICMR-affiliated centres. KIMS emerged as one of the major recruiting centres, successfully enrolling 673 participants. The trial required meticulous participant recruitment, stringent long-term follow-up, regular clinical and laboratory assessments, and rigorous multi-level monitoring to ensure compliance with study protocols, participant safety, data quality, and regulatory standards.

The Certificate of Appreciation acknowledges the team’s commitment to conducting the trial in accordance with national standards, ensuring strict adherence to study protocols, ethical guidelines, participant safety requirements, data quality measures, and regulatory compliance throughout the conduct of the study. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the investigators, laboratory teams, postgraduate trainees, and field staff in maintaining the highest standards of clinical research. The successful execution of this nationally significant study underscores the institution’s capability in conducting high-quality clinical trials and contributing to the development of innovative public health interventions.

Dr. Sonali Kar appointed to AIIMS Kalyani Institutional Ethics Committee as Epidemiologist

In another significant professional achievement, Prof. (Dr.) Sonali Kar, Head, Department of Community Medicine has been appointed to the position of Epidemiologist for the reconstituted Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) of AIIMS, Kalyani for a period of 5 years. It is expected that some collaborative efforts may be initiated during the period of Dr. Kar’s tenure.