Nucelion Therapeutics will support Pandorum Technologies process development and manufacturing of designer exosomes for investigational therapies targeting advanced keratopathy and wet age-related macular degeneration, with up to ₹8 crore in PRIP funding.
Hyderabad, October 28, 2026: Nucelion Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Biotech International Ltd., has partnered with Bengaluru-based Pandorum Technologies to advance two investigational ophthalmology programmes focused on advanced keratopathy and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).
Under the partnership, Nucelion will support process development and manufacturing of Pandorum’s designer exosomes, which form the basis of its cell-free regenerative medicine platform. Both projects have secured grants under the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme.
The two projects have a combined planned outlay of ₹16.97 crore, including up to ₹8 crore in PRIP funding. The collaboration aims to connect Pandorum’s regenerative medicine research with specialised manufacturing capabilities to support the development of investigational therapies for eye diseases.
Pandorum is developing designer exosomes that carry biological signals involved in communication between cells. The company’s platform is designed to modulate biological processes associated with inflammation, fibrosis and vascular pathology while supporting tissue repair.
Nucelion’s role will focus on developing manufacturing processes and producing designer exosomes in line with the requirements and development stage of each programme. The broader collaboration is intended to support the supply of material manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for clinical studies in India and abroad, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
The two programmes are at different stages of development. Pandorum’s advanced-keratopathy programme is directed towards the clinical evaluation of investigational therapies for severe corneal disease. Its wet-AMD programme focuses on preclinical development and preparation for subsequent clinical translation in retinal disease.
The partnership reflects an effort to build domestic process development and manufacturing capabilities for emerging regenerative medicines, while allowing each programme to progress according to its own scientific evidence, milestones and regulatory requirements.
Bharat Biotech Arm Nucelion, Pandorum Advance 2 PRIP-Backed Investigational Eye Therapy Programmes
“Advanced therapies require process development, analytical methods and manufacturing discipline to progress together. Our role is to help translate Pandorum’s product requirements into reproducible processes and development-stage manufacturing, with quality built into the work from the outset. This collaboration brings complementary capabilities together to advance complex biologics within India’s growing advanced-therapies ecosystem,” said Dr. Raghu Malapaka, Chief Business Officer, Nucelion Therapeutics.
Dr. Tuhin Bhowmick, Co-founder and CEO of Pandorum Technologies, said the PRIP support would help the company advance two distinct ophthalmology programmes using its designer-exosome platform.
“A regenerative medicine has to do more than show promise in the laboratory: its biological activity must be reproducible, and its effects must be evaluated in the right patients. PRIP support enables us to advance two distinct ophthalmology programmes through a common designer-exosome platform. Our collaboration with Nucelion connects that platform to the manufacturing capability needed for rigorous development, with the goal of restoring tissue function and improving patients’ lives. We also see this collaboration as an opportunity to advance our shared vision of ‘Innovate and Make in India, for the World’,” Bhowmick said.
Nucelion Therapeutics operates as an independently led cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) backed by Bharat Biotech. Its capabilities span process development, analytical testing and GMP manufacturing across several advanced therapy modalities, including exosomes.
Pandorum develops programmable, cell-free regenerative medicines intended to repair damaged tissues and restore function. In addition to ophthalmology, its research pipeline includes programmes targeting tissue repair in areas such as skin, liver, lung and the nervous system.
The collaboration brings together Pandorum’s designer-exosome platform and Nucelion’s development and manufacturing expertise as the two companies work to advance the ophthalmology programmes towards their respective development milestones.
