Bharat Biotech
The Netherlands-based Bilthoven Biologicals BV (BBio) and the Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech established a partnership to enhance the production and supply security of oral polio vaccines (OPV).
According to the press release, Bharat Biotech, a leader in the world of biotherapeutic and vaccine innovation, will purchase pharmaceutical ingredients to produce oral polio vaccinations that will be distributed both domestically in India and internationally.
Through this partnership, Bharat Biotech and BBio, a fully owned subsidiary of Serum Institute of India Private Limited, will work together to secure the licenses and regulatory approvals needed to produce OPVs for sale in India using pharmaceutical ingredients made in the Netherlands at Bilthoven Biologicals. This will benefit global supplies of OPVs.
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Bharat Biotech is the largest manufacturer of oral polio vaccines, according to the company.
“Bharat Biotech is one of the biggest providers to immunization programs worldwide, and oral polio vaccines have been a crucial component of the Government of India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP) for several decades. In a press release, Dr. Krishna Ella, executive chairman of Bharat Biotech, stated, “This collaboration between BBIL and BBio exemplifies cooperation between vaccine companies, ensuring a secure supply of oral polio vaccines and fortifies the nation’s mission to eradicate polio.”
India vowed to follow the 1988 World Health Assembly resolution calling for the eradication of polio worldwide. The Pulse Polio Immunization Programme, also known as National Immunization Day (NID), was introduced in India in 1995 and is carried out twice a year in the early months.
On March 27, 2014, the Regional Polio Certification Commission declared India to be polio-free. There have been no other reports of wild poliovirus cases from any state or Union territory in the nation since the last case was recorded on January 13, 2011, in Howrah, West Bengal.
“We are delighted to join forces with Bharat Biotech to reinforce the global supply of polio vaccines. Our vision is to eradicate polio worldwide, taking a crucial step towards reducing the impact of this deadly disease on vulnerable populations,” Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, said in a press statement.