India’s first indigenous vaccine launched; initiative likely to boost R&D

 The Dollar Business Bureau The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on Monday, launched India’s first indigenously developed and manufactured Rotavirus vaccine-‘Rotavac’ and also appreciated the partners involved in the development of the advanced indigenous vaccine. The Prime Minister mentioned this initiative as a successful example of collaboration between India and the United States in the area of medical research. He also noted the initiative as an example for India’s capabilities in high-end Research& Development (R&D), manufacturing of highly sophisticated pharma products and effective finding of affordable solutions to societal problems under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Narendra Modi further hoped that this initiative would provide a basis for furthering R&D and manufacturing activities in India not only in medical science, but also in areas like science and technology, among others. Starting with this, the solutions found indigenously would also allow India to provide relevant and optimal solutions to the rest of the world in the future, he added. This vaccine, developed under PPP model also involved partnership between the Ministry of Science and Technology, the institutions of the US government, various government institutions and NGOs in India, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Besides funded by the Government of India for basic research, the initiative was also supported by the US Governmental institutions like the National Institute of Health, developed and tested jointly by The Gates Foundation and Bharat Biotech India Limited. This indigenously developed vaccine, that is expected to boost efforts to combat infant mortality due to diarrhea, has undergone 25-year-long efforts and is the third such vaccine against Rotavirus available globally and at the current prices, the cheapest. Every year due to diarrhea caused by Rotavirus, India has been witnessing up to 10 lakh hospitalizations and nearly 80,000 children under the age of 5 years, on death beds. Besides the emotional stress, the virus has also been pushing many Indian families below the poverty line, imposing a significant economic burden on the country.   

This article was published on March 10, 2015.