The Hindu Business Line : USV identifies Hepatitis C vaccine candidate

Mumbai, Aug.13 With work under way on a typhoid vaccine, biopharmaceutical company USV Ltd has identified a prospective Hepatitis C vaccine candidate in its efforts to strengthen its innovative pipeline.

There is no Hepatitis C vaccine at present and the prospective vaccine candidate would target the Indian type of the disease, said Mr Prashant Tewari, Managing Director.

He expects to commence testing on small animals later this year.

The vaccine candidate emerged from internal research, he said, unlike the typhoid vaccine that USV is developing with support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

USV’s Rs 670-crore business comprises generic and innovative products and the next few years are expected to see increased activity in both segments.

The company expects to clock a turnover of Rs 760 crore for the current fiscal.

Typhoid vaccine

Last year, USV entered into a licence agreement with Biotech Consortium India Ltd (BCIL), under the aegis of the DBT, for a typhoid vaccine.

The first stage of the technology transfer was completed recently, he said.

More toxicity tests will be conducted on animals and the typhoid vaccine is set to go into the first phase of trials on humans in late 2008, he added.

Developing a vaccine is as time-consuming as developing a chemical medicine.

The final product is still several years away, he added.

On the company’s strategy to develop and commercialise the product, he said: “We will take that call as we go along.”

However, he added, local companies usually developed a product till Phase II or early proof-of-concept stage, where the product has been tested on about 500 people with the illness.

Subsequently, Indian drug companies have been following a strategy where they out-licence the product to a drug company with deep pockets, which can develop the product to its final stage and eventually market it.

The company recently operationalised its research centre in Mumbai, with about 200 scientists.

It is also awaiting local regulatory approvals to commence human trials on two of its recombinant DNA proteins – Neseritide and human growth hormone, he said.

Generic growth

USV expects to see increased activity from its operations in the US, through Indicus Pharma LLC.

USV owns about 90 per cent equity in Indicus.

The company has a mixed bag of 25 generic products that it is working on, said Mr Tewari.

Marketing alliances have been forged with two generic companies to market six products in the US.

The products range across therapeutic categories, from acne to diabetes to liver disorder, and involve complex products that are difficult to make, he said, without giving details.

The six products will hit the market in the third and fourth quarters of 2008-09 and revenue will flow from these deals in 2009-10, he said.

Other products in this kitty are expected to hit the US market over three years.

More Stories on : Outlook | Pharmaceuticals

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page