Bangalore, June 27, 2007: India-based biotech company Shantha Biotechnics, in collaboration with the global nonprofit health organization PATH, is developing a multivalent vaccine against rotavirus. The technology has been licensed from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Shantha and PATH are working in partnership to accelerate the development of this new vaccine.

 

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea responsible for more than 527,000 deaths occurring annually in children under the age of five years, with majority of these in the developing countries. It is estimated that rotavirus infections account for around 26 percent of all diarrhea related hospitalizations in India with most of the cases of occurring during the first two years of life, the incidence peaking at nine to 11 months of age.

 

Managing Director of Shantha Biotech Mr Varaprasad Reddy said, “Shantha was selected following a rigorous assessment of its technical and business merits, for its willingness and capacity to meet WHO vaccine standards. We are excited about working on the multivalent rotavirus vaccine, which has the potential to save many lives.” He conveyed that there are two licensed vaccines for rotavirus, Merck’s RotaTeq and GSK’s Rotatrix, and both these vaccines are currently not available in India. PATH has taken the initiative to collaborate with Shantha Biotech and other emerging manufacturers to develop promising candidates into safe, effective and affordable vaccines.

 

“Because bringing new vaccines to market is a key component in improving affordability, PATH is pleased to be partnering with Shantha to develop the rotavirus vaccine to meet India and other countries’ needs,” said Mr Rajat Goyal, Director of PATH’s Advancing Rotavirus Vaccine Development project.

 

Shantha plans to carry out the clinical trials following completion of preclinical toxicology studies and expects to start clinical trials in the year 2008. Shantha carries the credit of developing and commercializing India’s first recombinant Hepatitis-B vaccine and other combination vaccines with the DTP platform. Shantha’s vaccines (Shanvac-B and Shantetra, DTP-Hepatitis B) are WHO pre-qualified and are supplied in various countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, CIS and Latin America by the international agencies like UNICEF and PAHO.