HYDERABAD:  Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) a wholly owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and a leading biopharmaceutical company in India marks a historic moment in public health with the launch of India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine “Havisure^®”. The vaccine represents a significant step forward in India’s fight against Hepatitis A and is poised to make a substantial contribution to public health.

The new vaccine, Havisure^® is the result of extensive research and development efforts by IIL’s dedicated team of scientists and researchers. This indigenously developed vaccine is poised to play a crucial role in preventing Hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver infection that poses a significant public health challenge. Hepatitis A is a viral infection primarily spread through the fecal-oral route, meaning that it is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.

This Novel Vaccine launch event was held today at Hyatt Place, Hyderabad. Chief guests were Shri Nagaraj Karpan, MLA and Shri Ajay Mishra, IAS-Chairman Indian Redcross Society, Telangana.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Ltd shared “The launch of Havisure^® is a testament to our commitment to advancing healthcare solutions for the nation. Currently Hepatitis A vaccines are imported into our country and as a true meaning of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, IIL has tirelessly put in efforts and developed India’s 1^st vaccine for Hepatitis A. The vaccine Havisure® has undergoneextensive clinical trials in 8 centers and has proven to be safe and efficacious. The vaccine is comparable to the world’s leading vaccine sold by a multinational. With Havisure^®, we aim to contribute significantly to the prevention of this infectious disease. IIL launching three vaccines in a single year is itself a big achievement and full credit to my team.”

“Havisure” is set to play a crucial role to protect against the Hepatitis A virus, which primarily affects the liver. The vaccine is effective in preventing the disease and is recommended for children in the routine immunization. It is a two-dose vaccine wherein the first dose is administered at above 12 months of age and the second dose is given at least after 6 months of the first dose. The vaccine is also recommended for individuals who are at risk of exposure or travel to the regions with high hepatitis A prevalence. In addition to this people with occupational risk of infection and suffering from chronic liver diseases also need Hepatitis A vaccination.

Discussing on manufacturing capabilities of IIL, Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Dy. Managing Director-IIL said, “The company has considerably invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to scale up production and meet the growing demand for Hepatitis A vaccine. As part of the launch, IIL will be collaborating with healthcare professionals, corporate hospitals, and government agencies to promote awareness about Hepatitis A and the importance of both paediatric, adolescent & adult vaccination”.

The post Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) rolls out India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A Vaccine ‘Havisure®’ appeared first on NRI News.

Dr. K Anand Kumar has played a crucial role in advancing India’s expertise in producing vaccines and biosimilars, ensuring that critical biologic treatments are more accessible to patients, both within the country and overseas. Dr. Kumar-led IIL has created a “One Health” organization, that championed disease control through affordable and accessible vaccination for both humans and animals. Engaged in vaccine development in the past thirty years, he has been influential in providing accessibility of affordable animal and human vaccines to 60+ developing nations. He has relentlessly worked towards “Make in India”, safeguarding lives against deadly diseases, and advancing research and development efforts.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kumar channeled efforts to repurpose vaccine manufacturing facilities in IIL and roll out the COVID-19 vaccine drug substance quickly. This has not only helped India’s self-reliant objective but also earned him praise from the Government of India. To be self-sufficient in vaccine production, he has strengthened IIL’s position in the Indian as well as global vaccine market and contributed substantially towards health efforts. Through his advocacy for philanthropic strategies, Dr. Kumar-led IIL has adopted several schools, while supporting their infrastructural needs and providing meals and uniforms to the students. Indian Immunologicals has provided fortified, flavored milk to 6,000+ rural students daily, supported equipment for setting up biogas plants for waste management, and uplifted more than 400+ rural households. The company has established an Oxygen generation plant at Telangana Institute of Medical Science, saving several lives against COVID-19. Dr. Kumar’s vision is to create a healthy and inclusive space along with making Thiruvananthapuram rabies-free.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr. K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “It is a great honor to accept this award from the prestigious Rotary Club, recognizing my efforts in the field of vaccines. This will further encourage me to rededicate myself towards a greater role in disease control in the nation”.

Among many other achievements, the Rotary Club has always been in the forefront and contributed immensely to the nation towards the control of Polio disease by actively carrying out relentless Pulse Polio campaigns.

Earlier, Dr. Anand Kumar received several other awards which include the prestigious – ‘Best Alumnus Award’ from his alma mater, “Vector Control Research Center, ICMR” and “PSG Sons and Charities”.

The post Vocational Excellence Award Conferred to Dr. K. Anand Kumar, MD, Indian Immunologicals Limited appeared first on NRI News.

This brand-new unit will have a BSL3 facility for the manufacture of Drug substances and a Fill-Finish capability for the production of both drug products FMD vaccine and the FMD+HS vaccine.

Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (TSIIC), a Government of Telangana undertaking had allotted the land to IIL at Biotech Park, Phase III, Karkapatla, Siddipet district in Telangana. The proposed facility has a capacity of 150 million doses/annum of FMD vaccine and  150 million doses/annum of  FMD+HS vaccine each. With an investment of approximately INR 700 Cr, the proposed facility is expected to create more than 750 direct and indirect jobs.

Indian Immunologicals Limited is a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). In its more than 40 years of journey, IIL has carved a niche space as a leading “One Health” organization, manufacturing animal and human vaccines. IIL also exports its products to more than 60 countries across the globe.

Today the Chairman of NDDB & IIL led the groundbreaking ceremony in the presence of IIL board members, employees, and officials from NDDB. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman of NDDB and IIL said, “IIL continues to fulfil the purpose for which it was created by NDDB as a world-class vaccine manufacturer. This new vaccine manufacturing facility in Hyderabad is dedicated to the nation and will certainly aid in the eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease in our country. IIL’s ability to discover and manufacture affordable vaccines has saved the exchequer several thousand crores of rupees”.

Dr. K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, IIL said, “We are the largest supplier of FMD vaccine to Government of India’s prestigious Livestock Health Disease Control Programme (LHDCP). We are in an exponential growth phase and expected to grow 40% this year alone. To sustain the momentum, IIL is seriously considering making additional investments in building infrastructure within India and in other emerging geographies including Africa in a manner to develop tools that will help in control and eradication of diseases.”

Indian Immunologicals Limited headquartered in Hyderabad, India is one of the largest producers of vaccines in Asia. IIL was set up by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1982. IIL has multiple GMP manufacturing sites and exports to over 50 countries. IIL has a strong R&D pipeline and has launched several animal and human vaccines in the Indian market at affordable prices. IIL specializes in the development of various types of vaccines ranging from inactivated and live viral vaccines, polysaccharide conjugate vaccines, recombinant subunit vaccines, toxoid vaccines, and live bacterial vaccines.

The post Groundbreaking ceremony of  IIL’s Greenfield Animal Vaccine Manufacturing Facility held at Genome Valley in Hyderabad appeared first on NRI News.

The booster vaccine can be administered safely to individuals who have received two doses of either COVAXIN® or COVISHIELD

INDIA: Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd, a Pune based company, announced thatitsmRNA COVID-19 booster vaccine – GEMCOVAC®-OM – against the  Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the office of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

GEMCOVAC®-OM is the first booster COVID-19 vaccine developed in India against the highly transmissible Omicron variant. GEMCOVAC®-OM has demonstrated robust immune responses in the phase 3 clinical trial conducted at 20 centers across 13 cities  in India In Phase-II/ III trials, approximately 3000 individuals received GEMCOVAC-OM and the vaccine was safe and well tolerated.

The currently approved vaccines used as precautionary/ booster doses are designed against the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2. Although these will increase the antibody titers, their ability to neutralize the circulating Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is limited. Developing antibodies and memory immune responses specific to the Omicron variant would reduce the probability of infection and hospitalization and prevent future waves of the pandemic. The Made-in-India GEMCOVAC®-OM specifically addresses this gap.

GEMCOVAC®-OM is a lyophilized (freeze dried) vaccine, stable at 2- 8 °C.

It is delivered intradermally using a device called Tropis®, developed by PharmaJet, USA. This is a needle-free device that obviates the disadvantages of using a needle, such as a needle phobia, sharps disposal, and needle-stick injuries, to name a few.

Dr. Sanjay Singh, CEO, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Limited, said: “The Gennova team, as a part of the global scientific community’s endeavour to meet unmet medical needs, is geared for dealing with health emergencies. There is a realization that the COVID-19 will remain and keep mutating, and therefore we need to be prepared with vaccines to deal with emerging variants. The mRNA platform, that was developed in association with the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, provides an opportunity for a quick turnaround for vaccine development for any variants of concern in future, if any. Vaccines have remained the best shield for mankind against deadly diseases.”

Reiterating Gennova’s pursuit of research for finding solutions for better health, Samit Mehta, COO, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Limited, said: “Gennova has successfully developed India’s first Omicron-variant vaccine within a few months. Being aware of the accessibility challenges the world witnessed for the COVID-19 vaccines, we are happy that we are providing a vaccine based on a state-of-the-art technology, the mRNA. We are thankful to our stakeholders – medical fraternity, government, scientific community – for espousing confidence in our effort towards the mRNA technology and now the Omicron specific vaccine. The mRNA vaccine platform continues to remain a protective shield for India and the world against Coronavirus”.

The post India’s first mRNA-based Omicron-specific booster vaccine from Gennova gets DCGI approval appeared first on NRI News.