The country’s largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India, will be launching its dengue vaccine in South America next year, as the company prepares to file for regulatory approvals in these markets, managing director Adar Poonawala said.
Scientific details of the vaccines remained unclear. However, the vaccine maker said it will begin registrations for the vaccine soon.
Serum Institute is also working on a 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine, which the company has patented and might be launched in the Indian market by 2021.
India has emerged as one of the key markets for the company as in the last four years, Poonawala said the government’s immunisation programme has helped doubled its revenue.
“Earlier, exports contributed to 90 per cent of our business, but now the share of the India market has gone up by 30 per cent ,” Poonawala told ET.
Serum Institute that recently formed the vaccine manufacturers association of India, a lobby group to speed by vaccine trials and use in the country, is looking to engage with government and researchers to speed up innovation. Currently, in this association, there are no multinational drug companies. The other vaccine companies part of it are Panacea Biotech (in which Serum owns equity), Bharat Biotech and Biological E.
