New Delhi, Aug 28 : The Centre's Department of Pharmaceuticals has announced the second call for applications under the Rs 5,000 crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma & MedTech (PRIP) Scheme, launched to strengthen India's pharma and medtech research and development ecosystem across startups, MSMEs, and large companies, according to an official statement issued on Friday.

Applications are invited across two tracks that cover early- and late-stage projects.

For the early-stage category, projects of startups and MSMEs to take products or technologies at TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 1, 2 or 3 in any priority area to higher TRLs, not beyond TRL 5, will be eligible. These projects will follow a two-stage process, beginning with a concise concept note, followed by a detailed application for shortlisted applicants. Concept notes can be submitted directly by eligible MSMEs and startups, or by ecosystem enablers on behalf of promising projects within their networks. Financial assistance to the extent of Rs 5 crore per project will be provided under the scheme.

In the case of the later-stage category, projects of industry, startups and MSMEs to take products or technologies at TRL 4, 5, or 6 in any priority area to higher TRLs will be eligible. Late-stage projects can apply directly through the detailed application form. Financial assistance to the extent of Rs 100 crore per project will be provided under the scheme subject to the condition that such assistance will be restricted to a maximum of 35 per cent of the approved total project cost and the remainder of the approved total project cost will be co-funded by the applicant.

Application forms and supporting guidance are available on the PRIP portal: https://prip.pharma-dept.gov.in/.

The submission window on the PRIP portal will open by mid-September. Applicants who had submitted projects under PRIP Round 1 have been asked not to resubmit the same project. For any queries, interested applicants can write to support-prip@pharma-dept.gov.in.

The PRIP scheme was launched in 2023 with a view to promote research and development in the pharmaceutical sector, including in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. It seeks to build world-class research infrastructure and deepen the talent pool of qualified, trained students. With a view to enhancing the prospects of commercialisation of viable outputs, industry and startups can also take advantage of mentorship support that will be provided under the scheme. Initiatives such as MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra and the online platform under the scheme will facilitate collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders.

The priority areas identified under the scheme include new chemical medicines/substances (including new chemical entity (NCE), new biological entity (NBE) and phyto-pharmaceuticals), while complex generics and biosimilars are also covered under the scheme.

Besides, novel medical devices (Targeted Innovative Therapeutics) constitute another area. This refers to medical devices that have not been previously approved by the CDSCO. It covers all novel medical devices, including the following: (i) AI/ML based medical devices with software development, Software as Medical Device (SaMD) and Software in Medical Device (SiMD); (ii) Medical diagnostics and screening devices with genetic technology; (iii) Robotic medical devices for surgical procedures; (iv) Medical devices with telemedicine facilities; and (v) Any novel in vitro diagnostic medical device, including biomarkers, that enables precision medicine, the statement added.

/IANS