The Hindu Business Line : Shantha Biotech plans export to more countries

NEW UNIT: The Managing Director, Dr Varaprasad Reddy, at the inauguration of the high-speed vaccine vial filling facility in Hyderabad on Saturday. — G. Krishna Swamy

Hyderabad May 26 Hyderabad-based vaccines major Shantha Biotechnics Ltd has firmed up plans to export its range of vaccines to 15 countries, adding to its current 35 destinations.

To boost these efforts, the company on Saturday opened its high-speed vaccine vial filling facility here. The fill finish facility has three filling lines with a combined installed capacity of 2.5 lakh vials per day.

In addition to the Hepatitis B, DPT-Hep B and Tetanus toxoid, the Rs 25-crore facility would formulate and blend Shantha's to-be launched vaccines such as Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV), Rotavirus and Pentavalent vaccine, Mr K.I. Varaprasad Reddy, Managing Director, Shantha Biotechnics, told newspersons here on Saturday.

Better potential

"With the launch of the new facility, we now have the potential to increase our vaccine filling capacity from the current one lakh vials to three lakh vials," Mr Reddy said. "We have obtained WHO-Geneva pre-qualification for combination of DPT and Hep B vaccine (Shantetra). This allows us to increase our vaccine sales to UN agencies. We will be exporting to over 50 countries soon," he said.

Shantha Biotechnics, which sold nearly 60 per cent of its stake to the French major Merieux, will also set up a separate facility for diagnostic equipment at a 25-acre plot likely to be allotted by the State Government at Kucharam in Medak district soon.

"We will be investing over Rs 150 crore in the plant," Mr Reddy said. The firm had been increasing its focus on R&D and is currently developing three monoclonal anti-bodies for treatment of lung cancer. "We will start Phase I clinical trials on the first monoclonal antibody in the US by January 2008. Over next three years, we hope to complete clinical trials on all three products," Mr Reddy said.

Earlier, after inaugurating the facility, Dr J. Geeta Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Industries and Commerce, said the Government had already earmarked land in Medak district for Shantha's proposed facility.

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