TOKYO: Meiji Seika Pharma-owned Medreich Pharma is eyeing inorganic growth and more generics supply from India, while the parent has tied up with Serum Institute of India (SII) to launch Japanese Encephalitis vaccine in the country.
“SII will take the required approval to provide the vaccine for children in India. Our subsidiary has already marketed this vaccine in Japanese market. Hopefully, next year SII will apply and try to take the approval in India and then they will market this vaccine,” Meiji Seika Pharma COO for pharma segment Toshiaki Nagasato said after a meeting with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal here on Monday. The Japanese company is seeking that the approval should be accelerated.
“SII manufactures at the lowest cost. We believe SII will launch the vaccine at affordable and lowest cost. SII technology offcials also came to Japan to understand the technology in Japan,” Nagasato said.
According to WHO, there are three types of Japanese Encephalitis vaccines, which are given to children. Japan has the technology to help combat the disease that it once grappled with and combined with India’s low cost manufacturing capability the partnership could help children.
SII and Meiji Seika Pharma had announced the achievement of the first milestone last April.
Nagasato said the Japanese company is looking to invest into its Indian subsidiary Medreich, which it had acquired in 2014, although he refused to disclose the amount. He said the idea is to help expand the Indian company’s generic operations within the country and also for exports to countries, such as UK, Canada and other European and African companies.
