Serum Institute develops India’s first indigenous developed pneumonia vaccine

India recently got its first indigenous pneumonia vaccine developed that has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). The latter reviewed phase I, phase II and phase III clinical trials data that have been submitted by the Pune-based Serum Institute. The vaccine has also been granted the market approval for Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine. Besides India, Serum Institute has also conducted clinical trials in Gambia.

“On July 14, Serum Institute of India Pune has been granted permission to manufacture domestically developed first Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine. This is the first indigenously developed vaccine in the field of pneumonia,” the Health Ministry in a statement.

Till date, the demand of vaccines against pneumonia has been met substantially through licensed importers since most of the manufacturers were vaccine companies based out of India. With the indigenously developed vaccine, invasive diseases and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumonia can be used for active immunization of infants. In addition to this, Serum Institute has also partnered with British drug-maker AstraZeneca in its bid to boost Oxford University’ efforts for a vaccine against COVID-19. “I cannot comment on the amount of doses we have made so far, but we plan to make millions of doses over the next three months after we get the manufacturing license. We have committed hundreds of millions of dollars in Capex and Opex to start producing the vaccine,” said Adar Poonawalla, Serum Institute CEO.

Other types of vaccines the company has manufactured include bacterial vaccines, conjugate vaccines, viral vaccines, anti-sera, combination vaccines, etc, which it supplies in India and abroad. The new pneumonia vaccine is administered in an intramuscular manner.