Business
Wockhardt's vaccine gets WHO GMP certification
By Our Staff Correspondent
MUMBAI DEC. 5. Biovac-B, the brand owned by Wockhardt, has become India's first WHO GMP (World Health Organization _ Good Manufacturing Practices) approved Hepatitis-B vaccine for both its bulk and formulation facilities.
``Both of our bulk and formulation facilities in Aurangabad have received WHO GMP certification. It opens a window of opportunity, with Biovac-B being eligible for government tenders,''said Mr. Habil Khorakiwala, chairman Wockhardt, adding ``This assumes greater significance in view of the expected inclusion of Hepatitis-B vaccine in the essential immunisation programme by the Union Government to eliminate this dreaded infection. The certification reinforces our commitment of maintaining consistent quality standards as per stringent international norms".
Further, Mr. Khorakiwala said, ``With our focus in biotechnology and genomics research, Wockhardt is a frontrunner in this field. We have the most comprehensive research programme and a dedicated team of scientists with capabilities of gene cloning and construction of expression strains involving yeast, bacterial and mammalian cells. To facilitate the increasing need for recombinant products catering to domestic and global requirements, we are creating a world-class manufacturing facility at Aurangabad with a capacity of 100 million paediatric doses of Biovac-B vaccine".
Since its launch in early 2000, Biovac-B has been well accepted by the medical community. So far, according to Wockhardt, more than three million Indians have been vaccinated with the product through hundreds of mass awareness and immunisation programmes conducted by Wockhardt. With two successful biotech products _ Biovac-B and Epox _ in the Indian market, Wockhardt has in its pipeline several other recombinant bio-pharmaceuticals including Human insulin (used in controlling diabetes) and Interferon alpha-2b (in cancer management).
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