NEW DELHI: A low cost vaccine to treat severe rotavirus diarrhoea that kills more than 100,000 children under five in India annually was unveiled on Tuesday.
The Rotavac vaccine costs about Rs 50 per dose (US$0.91), Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
The vaccine, a result of efforts spanning 28 years, has 56 per cent efficacy if administered in the first year of life, said scientists who released results of clinical trials.
“Rotavac significantly reduces severe rotavirus diarrhoea by more than half,” said M K Bhan, former Secretary at the Department of Biotechnology.
Bhan isolated the rotavirus strain in 1985 while pursuing research at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Commercial production of the vaccine would take some time as it is yet to get clearance from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
“We are planning to file a dossier with the DCGI in July. We will hit the market after getting the requisite regulatory clearances,” said Bharat Biotech chairman and managing director, Krishna M Ella.
Bharat Biotech, which was involved in the development of vaccine candidates and clinical trials, has announced a price of about Rs 54.7 (US$1) per dose – much lower than other rotavirus vaccines available in the market.
Current price of the vaccine is between Rs 800 (US$14.58) to 900 (US$16.40). — Bernama