The Hindu Business Line : Panacea plans facility for thermostable vaccines

Work on the plant, which is to come up next to its current facility at Lalru in Punjab, is to start in 2008, said Mr Rajesh Jain, Joint Managing Director.

Following its recent joint venture with Cambridge Biostability Ltd, wherein Panacea has earned access to its partner's stable liquid technology for producing vaccines that won't require cold chain storage, the company will start marketing its pentavalent vaccine in this new technology from mid-2009.

"The problem with polio eradication is outreach. This technology is a dream come true to address health issues of Africa and India. The vaccines, which require no refrigeration, will not only be more effective but actually reach many more people," said Mr Jain.

Prospective buyers

The WHO, other agencies and Governments are prospective big buyers of this product.

Panacea is also spending about Rs 30 crore to add a P3 production unit at Lalru for research work in the areas of polio and anthrax vaccines. (P3 is a high-level quality control certification needed for research work dealing with crucial virus.)

Work at the production unit will start from April 2007 and is expected to be completed by Sept 2008.

Plans for Europe

Next year, the company will also be focusing on reaching out to consumers in Western Europe and Northern America, "We have already invested in expanding manufacturing capacity for the Western Europe and North American markets."

Between 2008 and 2010, the company hopes to enter markets in Malaysia, the Philippines, Brazil and South Africa.

The company, which prides itself on being an innovation-driven business, is open to alliances.

"But we are only open to strategic alliances where our interest adds value and where IPR is shared."

The company will also expand its therapeutic portfolio to include central nervous system disorders as a research area next year.

Currently, Panacea is engaged in pain management, organ transplants and the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular and infectious diseases.

It expects to launch its Japanese encephalitis and dengue vaccines in the market by 2009.

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