Multiple COVID-19 vaccines, including from J&J, Pfizer and RDIF, are seen gaining approvals in India in 2021, following on from a raft of R&D, manufacturing and marketing tie-ups, as well as other developments, in the action-packed field last year. 

Serum Institute has struck a partnership with Dynavax and Aurobindo Pharma with US-based company COVAXX for new vaccine candidates while Bharat Biotech has tied up with Ocugen to explore marketing of its existing contender, Covaxin, in the US.

A long-term, patient-centric group of investors is backing SparingVision's bid to develop a gene therapy treatment for retinitis pigmentosa that could be effective regardless of mutation.

Emerging Company Profile: Turning to gene therapy after its dry eye drug didn’t work out, Ocugen hopes to overcome financial challenges to bring a gene therapy into the clinic for numerous mutations of RP.