(^24) COVER STORY BIOSPECTRUM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | http://www.biospectrumindia.com
The Indian vaccine industry began
as a network of state-owned
manufacturers supplying basic
pediatric vaccines to the national
immunization programme. In recent
times, the number of private owned
firms active in the sector has grown
rapidly. Their success in bringing low
cost vaccine solutions to the public
vaccine market is an important driver
behind the emergence of the sector.
As the industry is becoming more
sophisticated, there is an increasing
focus on innovation. Across the
industry, a dozen or so new vaccines
are in clinical development.
per cent of supplies made to UNICEF.
Having tasted success several
companies have expanded facilities
to cater to the global markets to get a
better price”, points out Dr K Anand
Kumar, Managing Director,
Indian Immunologicals Ltd.
Industry’s Role
Very recently, Hyderabad based Indian
Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), a subsidiary of the
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has
launched Vaxtar 5, its pentavalent vaccine offering
protection against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus,
Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B
(HiB). This development has led the company to
bag Rs 210-crore order from the government to
supply 140 million doses of the 5-in-one pentavalent
vaccine. At the same time, the company is actively
pursuing work on its hexavalent vaccine which
includes inactivated polio antigen.
Another Hyderabad based key vaccine player
T
he Indian vaccine industry has been gradually
building its R&D capacity for at least a
decade. Spurred by the prospect of sales to
the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations
(GAVI), firms have strengthened their capabilities in
biotechnology, built collaborations with international
partners, and moved from basic vaccines to more
sophisticated technologies.
“The trade market is currently dominated
by multinational companies (GSK, Pfizer, MSD)
as many of the Indian manufacturers have only
conventional vaccines in their product basket at the
present moment. Indian manufacturers have several
products in their R&D pipeline and as they roll out,
the dominance of the multinational companies will
subside in the coming years. With the introduction
of vaccines by the Indian manufacturers, the market
now will have a choice and pricing pressures will
make it more affordable than what is being sold
currently. Indian manufacturers have the technical
expertise to produce several vaccines at an affordable
price. Indian manufacturers have accounted for 60