Hyderabad firm launches new vaccine for typhoid

IANS/HyderabadA leading biotechnology company yesterday launched a new vaccine for typhoid that can be given to infants below two years of age and to adults too.Typbar-TCV is said to be the world’s first clinically proven typhoid conjugate vaccine which can provide long-term protection to adults as well as children six months’ old and above.Krishna M Ella, chairman and managing director of the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, said the fourth generation vaccines offers hope to millions around the world as the currently available vaccines lack long-term protection and are not meant for children below two years of age.The Hyderabad-based company has commenced production of the new vaccine. The plant has the capacity to produce 10mn doses annually, expandable to 50mn doses in future.Typbar-TCV, which will be available in the market soon, will be supplied to global markets such as South East Asia, South America, Africa, Central Asia and South Asia.The Rs3bn company is already the largest producer and supplier of Vi typhoid vaccine, having distributed over 50mn doses globally. The existing vaccine in India is available for Rs180 but the new vaccine will cost more. Krishna said the price would be announced soon.The company invested Rs650mn to develop the vaccine, which was evaluated on over 1,200 people at nine clinical sites.Launching the vaccine, Christian Loucq, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), said typhoid every year affects 20mn people and causes 250,000-600,000 deaths, mostly in developing countries.According to the World Health Organistaion (WHO), 90% of typhoid deaths occur in Asia. Most victims are children under five years of age.Krishna said that 62% of the deaths occur in Asia, with India and Pakistan accounting for the highest numbers.Bharat Biotech gets Rs400-500mn of its revenues from the typhoid vaccine launched in 2003. It supplied the vaccine to many countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh where it is part of their national immunisation programme.With the launch of conjugate vaccine, the company hopes to increase the revenue to Rs1bn.Typhoid fever is a life threatening illness caused by the bacterium salmonella typhi, which is transmitted through food or drink contaminated by the faeces or urine of infected people.“This disease, unfortunately, has been around for too long. In the 21st century, it is not acceptable any more,” said Loucq, the head of Seoul-based institute, which has the mission to develop and deliver safe and affordable vaccines for developing nations.He said the new vaccine would prove effective against typhoid, which has become drug resistant.S Sanjay of the Indian Academy of Paediatricians called for re-including typhoid vaccine in the national immunization programme. He said it was part of the national immunisation chart until 1985.