Date:04/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/04/04/stories/2004040401480200.htm

Back Shanta Biotechnics gets TDB funding for 4-in-1 combo vaccine

Our Bureau

Hyderabad , April 3

SHANTA Biotechnics' efforts to develop a four-in-one combo vaccine at competitive prices have got a further boost with the Technology Development Board (TDB) clearing Rs 9-crore funding for its commercialisation phase.

The combo vaccine will have hepatitis B and DPT in one shot. Shanta Biotechnics, the Hyderabad-based indigenous biotech vaccine developer, has completed pre-clinical trials of this four-in-one vaccine and will launch clinical trials soon.

"We expect it to hit the market by September-October 2004," Mr K.I. Varaprasad Reddy, Managing Director, told Business Line.

At present, global drug major GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is the only company with such a four-in-one vaccine.

Shanta Biotechnics had started the development work on the project, with an estimated cost of Rs 38.5 crore a couple of years ago. While Exim Bank has provided funding to the tune of Rs 20 crore, about Rs 10 crore has been raised from internal accruals.

TDB, a technology venture fund under the Union Department of Science and Technology (DST), provides soft loans, especially for the commercial upscaling of indigenously development technologies. The TDB board had recently cleared the proposal of Shanta Biotechnics in New Delhi.

Infrastructure for the manufacture of the vaccine has already been set up. The company would also go in for the World Health Organisation (WHO) certification, to get acceptance for worldwide marketing, especially in regulated markets and supply to organisations such as Unicef. It already has WHO certification for his Hepatitis B vaccine, Mr Varaprasad Reddy said.

After the completion of the four-in-1 vaccine, the company will go in for the development of a five-in-one combination vaccine. This would include HiB vaccine in addition to hepatitis B and DPT. It would be taken up in early 2005.