Chinese Vaccine to treat swine flu in India

While the wait for an Indian swine flu vaccine continues, a Chinese vaccine is headed here. Parenteral Drugs India Ltd, through its subsidiary Parenteral Biotech Ltd, has entered into a supply and distribution agreement with Sinovac Biotech Co. Limited of China for purchase and supply of HIN1 influenza vaccine in the Indian market.

While the wait for an Indian swine flu vaccine continues, a Chinese vaccine is headed here. Parenteral Drugs India Ltd, through its subsidiary Parenteral Biotech Ltd, has entered into a supply and distribution agreement with Sinovac Biotech Co. Limited of China for purchase and supply of HIN1 influenza vaccine in the Indian market.

HT Image

“We have signed agreement of exclusivity with Sinovac Biotech, which ensures that Parenteral Biotech will be the sole supplier and distributor of their swine flu vaccine in India. Sinovac Biotech is the first company worldwide to receive approval for H1N1 influenza vaccine,” said Anil Mittal, chief executive officer of Parenteral Drugs India Ltd.

The vaccine is likely to hit the Indian market in four to six weeks, as the company will now apply to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for approval to import the drug from China. “In next four-five days we will submit the application before DCGI for import of vaccine,” said Mittal.

The per dosage cost of the vaccine for Indian customers is yet to be decided and officials of the company say that a final decision on the pricing will be taken in a week. The company has high hopes from the vaccine in terms of revenue. “We expect to see revenue of around Rs100 crore annually from the sale of vaccine,” he said.

Experts say although the panic attached to swine flu has subsided now, the demand and market for the vaccine is still present.

“Every year 2.5 crore babies are born in India, which suggests that the market for swine flu vaccine is vast,” said a Mumbai based pharma analyst, who did not wish to be named.