Drug-maker Cipla and vaccine maker Serum have come together again, but this time to market flu vaccine Nasovac-S in India.

Deal specifics The agreement between the two companies comes about six months after they had allied to sell children’s vaccines in Europe. As part of the latest agreement, Serum will develop and manufacture the vaccine, and Cipla will exclusively market it in India, Cipla said.

Vaccines are a segment that Cipla is not present in, making the deal a perfect fit, Cipla Chairman YK Hamied had told BusinessLine when the deal for Europe had been formalised. Serum Chief Executive and Executive Director Adar Poonawalla, too, had explained the alliance then, saying Cipla was a natural ally since it was also “family-owned” and had a similar outlook on access to affordable medicines.

The two companies have been in the news recently on speculation that they could merge. The top-brasses of both companies have, however, denied this till date.

On the India agreement, Subhanu Saxena, Cipla Managing Director and Global Chief Executive, said the partnership helps in making preventative healthcare accessible to a large number of Indians through Cipla’s strong countrywide sales-force.

The company has also initiated the approval process with the European Medicines Authority for marketing the products developed and manufactured by Serum and is looking at other markets, Cipla said.

Health concern Influenza is a major health concern across the world and this year India saw the death toll from swine flu cross 2,000.

Advantage The advantage of the Nasovac-S vaccine is that it is given through the nasal route, unlike vaccines that are injected in.

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