Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech International Ltd on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) launched Hillchol (BBV131), a novel single-strain oral cholera vaccine (OCV) it has developed under licence from Hilleman Laboratories (funded by Merck, USA and Wellcome Trust, UK). The rollout assumes significance amid a shortage of OCVs that exists globally. At present, there is only one manufacturer supplying OCVs worldwide and a shortage of around 40 million doses annually.
Global demand for the vaccine exceeds 100 million doses annually, the Hyderabad company’s leadership told the launch function in Hyderabad. Also read | Rise and fall of cholera-causing bacteria lineage Bharat Biotech said it has established large-scale manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar with a capacity to produce up to 200 million doses of Hillchol, founder Krishna Ella and co-founder Suchitra Ella told media after the launch. Of this 45 million doses capacity has been established in Hyderabad, while the rest would be in Bhubaneswar, where the vaccine maker setting up a “big facility.
” The company has been licenced by the Drug Controller General of India to market the vaccine manufactured at the Hyderabad facility. This approval from the country’s regulator is important as it gears up to seek pre-qualification for the vaccine from World Health Organization (WHO) as well as work with international organisations and vaccine alliances such as GAVI. With the OCV yet to form part of the national vaccinatio.