India eyes to increase oral polio vaccine supply

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Also read: Serum Institute to receive up to $30 mn from global network to make pandemic vaccines "An agreement has been signed under which Bharat Biotech will procure drug substances for manufacturing oral polio vaccines to be supplied within India and globally. This will contribute to supply security of oral polio vaccines. With this partnership, the capacity of BBIL to manufacture Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) has increased to 500 million doses every year," said a statement by the Health Ministry.

Currently the production capacity of OPV is around 153 million doses a year. "It is a matter of pride for us to visit a company which is manufacturing vaccines in Netherlands. This company has the capacity to provide oral vaccines in India,; till now the raw materials for oral polio vaccine was being obtained from one company based in Indonesia.

Now Indian company will be supplying oral vaccine in India," said Chander. Also read: India's apex drug regulator seeks vaccine manufacturing and sales data from states Chander's visit follows reports of an injectable polio vaccine shortage in the country. Last year French pharma major Sanofi said it will discontinue production of polio vaccine ShanIPV (inactivated) in India from March 2024 onwards.

Earlier this month, the pharma company said that has said it obtained approval for making IMOVAX-Polio, an injectable vaccine, from the Indian authorities. Earlier this month, Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) had announced coming together for polio eradication. In a joint statement, the companies said that a requisite agreement has been signed between BBIL and BBio wherein BBIL will procure drugs for the production of oral polio vaccines to be supplied within India and