Bharat Biotech sells over 150 mn Hepatitis B vaccines
Thursday, 30 October 2008, 19:30 IST
Printer Print Email Email
Hyderabad: Bharat Biotech International Limited Thursday announced that it has crossed production and delivery of more than 150 million doses of REVAC-B+TM, a recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine, since its launch in October 1998. The biotechnology company specialises in product-oriented research, development and manufacturing of vaccines and bio-therapeutics. REVAC-B+TM has been marketed and sold in more than 30 countries worldwide with manufacturing and quality standards on par with USFDA, EMEA and WHO guidelines. The vaccine has established an excellent safety and efficacy profile since its launch 10 years ago, said a company statement here. "The success of REVAC-B+TM bears testimony to our solid emphasis on R&D to develop vaccines that carry excellent safety and efficacy profiles. The next generation REVAC-Bmcf (thiomersol and cesium chloride free) recombinant Hepatitis-B vaccine manufactured by us are cost-effective and address the safety concerns expressed by parents and members of the medical profession," said Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech. REVAC-Bmcf vaccine contains the same components utilized in previous Hepatitis-B vaccine, but now it is supplied preservative-free in a single-dose vial. The preservative thiomersal which contains mercury is used in the production process for many vaccines. There are trace amounts of thiomersol left over from the production process that cannot be removed, but these amounts are so small that regulatory agencies consider the vaccine to be preservative-free. The Immunization Safety Review Committee of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, USA, however, recommends for a phase-out of thiomersol as a preservative in vaccines.
Source: IANS
siliconindia