The Hindu Business Line : Bharat Biotech to launch upgraded hepatitis B vaccine

Thimerosal-free implies that the vaccine is free of chemicals and does not need preservatives. Bharat Biotech is the first Indian vaccine manufacturer to successfully produce Revac-Bmcf and bring it to the domestic market.

“We are also trying to register it in countries where there is a potential market for the products by going through their regulatory demands soon,” said Ms Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director of the company.

Preferred choice

A thimerosal-free hepatitis B vaccine, which is an upgraded version, could emerge as a preferred choice for paediatricians, especially for administering it to a new-born, within 12 hours of delivery.

The launch of Revac-Bmcf (thimerosal-free) at a cost-effective price will also address the needs of parents and doctors, she said.

Currently, seven multinational companies, including Merck, GSK, and Sanofi Aventis manufacture a range of thimerosal-free vaccines such as Hepatitis B, Flu, Hepatitis A, HPV, MMR, MMR+Varicella, Pneumococcal, Rabies, Typhoid and Yellow Fever vaccines for use in markets worldwide.

The company joins the club of manufacturers, who develop and commercialise thimerosal-free vaccines. Several other vaccines in the current product line and future pipeline of Bharat Biotech will also be developed and commercialised in thimerosal-free presentations, she told Business Line here.

The company is also manufacturing a thimerosal-free paediatric vaccine for an MNC on a contract basis for overseas regulated markets, she added. The company had launched its Hepatitis-B version Revac B in 1999.

BBIL has established production facilities exclusively for the production of vaccines developed using recombinant technology, viral and bacterial routes near Hyderabad. It is also building a huge facility in Bangalore.

The company has effectively optimised its production technologies to ensure the phasing out of thimerosal, as a preservative wherever possible. It has a current portfolio of 10 injectable sterile preparations, including seven vaccines, she added.

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