New Delhi: The Center is looking to increase production capacity of oral polio vaccine (OPV), Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Apurva Chander said. Chander is currently touring the Netherlands where he visited pharmaceutical company Bilthoven Biologicals, acquired by Pune-based Serum Institute of India that produces OPV, and discussed its production.
Recently, Serum and Bharat Biotech announced a collaboration for improved production of OPV. Bharat Biotech will collaborate with Netherlands-based Bilthoven Biologicals BV, a wholly owned arm of the Serum Institute of India.
The bioengineering and vaccine manufacturing company Bilthoven Biologicals was bought by Serum India Ltd in 2012.
Also read: Serum Institute to receive up to $30 million from global network to create pandemic vaccines
“An agreement has been signed under which Bharat Biotech will procure drugs for the production of oral polio vaccines to be supplied in India and globally. This will contribute to the security of supply of oral polio vaccines. With this partnership, BBIL's capacity to produce oral polio vaccines The vaccine (OPV) will have increased to 500 million doses every year,” said a statement from the Ministry of Health.
Oral vaccines
Currently, OPV's production capacity is approximately 153 million doses per year.
“It is a matter of pride for us to visit a company that produces vaccines in the Netherlands. This company has the capacity to supply oral vaccines in India; Until now, the raw materials for the oral polio vaccine were obtained from one company based in India. Indonesia Now an Indian company will supply oral vaccines in India,” Chander said.
Also read: India's top drug regulator is asking states for data on vaccine production and sales
Chander's visit follows reports of a shortage of injectable polio vaccines in the country. Last year, French pharma giant Sanofi said it will stop production of polio vaccine ShanIPV (inactivated) in India from March 2024. Earlier this month, the pharmaceutical company said it had received approval from Indian authorities to make IMOVAX-Polio, an injectable vaccine.
Getting together
Earlier this month, Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) had announced collaboration for polio eradication. In a joint statement, the companies said that a necessary agreement has been signed between BBIL and BBio, under which BBIL will procure drugs for the production of oral polio vaccines to be supplied in India and globally.
Through this collaboration, BBIL and BBio will jointly obtain the regulatory approvals and licenses required for the commercial production of OPVs in India for the global supply of pharmaceuticals manufactured in the Netherlands at Bilthoven Biologicals. The Union Health Ministry's Universal Immunization Program (UIP) is one of the key interventions aimed at protecting children from life-threatening conditions by providing vaccination, including polio vaccine.
India was declared polio-free in March 2014. “However, to maintain the polio-free status, the polio vaccine is given to children as part of the high-level national and sub-national polio rounds across the country. essential to keep India polio-free,” the ministry said in a statement.
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Published: Apr 25, 2024 5:40 PM IST