Shantha Biotechnics Ltd, part of the France-based Merieux Allaince is focusing on research and development of novel vaccines like HPV and therapeutic antibodies.
The company is working on a new molecule, HPV-L2, for which development is already through and the clinical trials are expected to commence by mid of this year. This vaccine targeted for cervical cancer, if passed successfully, is expected to give a tough competition to Merck and GSK?s existing HPV-L1.
The company expects to complete all the phases of trials and hopes to launch the product in the next five years, and may become the first Indian company to launch HPV-L2 variant.
The uniqueness of this variant is that it can be extended to all ethnic populations and is suited for cross-immunisations, Varaprasad Reddy, MD told FE.
Elaborating on the research pipeline, he said his R&D team is also working on a 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine and the lab works have been initiated.
Incidentally, Shantha has also developed a low-cost cholera vaccine, estimated to cost about $2, as opposed to $45 available in the market. While for the cholera vaccine, licences are awaited, it has received strains from the National Institute of Health (NIH) for Rotavirus vaccine for which trials will be conducted soon.
The company is bullish on the demand for vaccines, so to say, has increased even in the recessionary period. It is eyeing revenue of Rs 550 crore in the next five years from the present target of Rs 220 crore.
?We are planning an investment of Rs 100 crore for the next five years and our thrust would be on rotavirus, pnemucoccal and cholera vaccines,? he said.
Meanwhile, the company laid a foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art vaccine manufacturing complex at Muppi Reddy pally village in Medak district in Andhra Pradesh.
The company will manufacture its next generation vaccines under the entire vaccine portfolio including cholera and rotavirus vaccines.
The facility is spread over 40 acre having the capacity to manufacture more than 100 million doses of vaccines per year. With an initial investment of Rs 50 crore, the company hopes to invest another Rs 50 crore as part of its strategic expansion plans over a period of time.
The new vaccine complex will address the capacity constraints of its facilities to manufacture a range of vaccines and the new generation pneumococcal vaccine, which are under development.
Meanwhile, the company has announced that it has obtained WHO-Geneva pre-qualification for its pentavalent vaccine in the current year and has started supplying the vaccine to the Unicef.