|
||
|
Source : http://in.news.yahoo.com
Activity:
3 comments
120 views
last activity : 07 06 2010 20:18:04 +0000
|
||
|
|
Sat, Aug 15 02:13 AM
In early August, Novartis and Sanofi Aventis began the first human tests of their swine flu vaccines. In India, the race is between three Indian biotech companies.
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India seems best placed. It was already working on a vaccine for seasonal flu. Serum Institute's products are exported to over 140 countries, and the company claims that one out of every two children immunised in the world has received a Serum Institute vaccine.
The other two companies are Panacea Biotech and Bharat Biotech. Delhi-based Panacea is a WHO pre-qualified supplier of a range of vaccines and has collaborations with international institutes. Its working on vaccines for anthrax, dengue, and Japanese encephalitis.
Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech launched India's first indigenous pentavalent (five-in-one) 'Comvac-5' vaccine in March this year. What's unique about the vaccine is that it is the only Hepatitis B vaccine in the world to be manufactured without the use of cesium chloride, a heavy metal needed to precipitate proteins. As a heavy metal, cesium chloride is a known cancer causing agent and the fact that Bharat Biotech found another safer way to purify its hepatitis-B antigen makes Comvac-5 even more special.
There's a fourth company, Ahmedabad-based Cadila Pharma, which is collaborating with US-based Novavax, using Novavax's 'virus-like particles' technology. This technology cuts short manufacturing time.
The buzz is that one company has already managed to grow the cell line, and is now engaged in scaling up production, a tricky operation, given the myriad variables in biologics manufacture. Today, we have to depend on imported vaccines to vaccinate health workers from swine flu. We pay handsomely to procure this vaccine. Countries that produce the vaccine use it domestically first.
Given this, it is crucial that an Indian pharma company develops a vaccine. May the best company win. And whoever wins, Indians are winners.
viveka.r@expressindia.com
|
|
We have so many problems.. Many financial crisis .. insecurities and a lot more.. But still... |
|
|
640 referals
20 arguments,
3194 views
|
|
|
If, as the old expression goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then the top brass... |
|
|
661 referals
11 votes,
1590 views
|
|
|
Long term investment in share market is good for everyone vs Intraday should be banned in share... |
|
|
886 referals
6 arguments,
167 views
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INSPIRATIONAL STORY...BY AN INDIAN CEO... of a US firm! From studying under the streetlights... |
|
|
78 referals
11 comments,
630 views
|
|
|
In today's news, I came across this article that scientists at Sandia National Labs who were... |
|
|
0 referals
5 comments,
163 views
|
|
|
I refuse to respond to TROLLS. Pl see my earlier post on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COMPANY THAT ANNA... |
|
|
1194 referals
10 comments,
358 views
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sleepiness is normally due to excess concentration (one extremity) or lack of ineterest (Other extermity). So distorting ourself from the job once in a while by at least gazing at a distant object Or changing our posture deliberately would rejuvenate... |
Bharatamatha gramavasini - Mother India stays in villages, but no one else wants to stay in villages. Urbanites dont get converted themselves in to villagers but villagers are getting converted in to urbanites. Nature is slowly dying to give place to... |
Its a latest development and also good one. Just tell or mail a small story. Every story has got some or the other moral - may be from panchatantra, fables or other .. but not to give a final line. Every person has got his intutions and experiences... |