Indian vaccine cos want a slice of US pie

MUMBAI: Indian vaccine makers are setting their sights on tapping the growing US market after the Obama administration committed $300 million for

implementing immunisation programmes in the country. Companies like Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute and Biological E, regular suppliers to World Health Organisation’s (WHO) vaccines programmes, are now looking at entering the US market — it represents the largest market for human vaccines with sales of $6.9 billion for 2007.

All the vaccine makers in the country have been selling their vaccines the world over, but have left developed markets like the US and Europe untouched.

Adar Poonawalla, executive director (operations) at Serum Institute, told ET: “We don’t have a presence in the US, but we do intend to enter the market in the next 2-3 years. The US market is tricky and has spelt bad news for a lot of pharma companies because of the lawsuits and the high entry barriers. The barriers are less in the vaccine space.”

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, whose rotavirus vaccine (116E) is entering phase 3 clinical trials, feels it would be a great opportunity for Indian vaccine makers to enter the US market. Sai Prasad, vice-president (business development) at Bharat Biotech said: “We also have plans to enter the US market in the next 2-3 years. The vaccine allocation by the government could be a good thing, but it would depend on the specific vaccines the US govt would be procuring, and if these vaccines manufactured by Indian vaccine makers are licensed for sale in the US.”

The Section 317 program, under which this falls, provides funding for immunisation operations and infrastructure necessary to implement a comprehensive immunisation program at the federal, state, and local levels. Some of the vaccines that are covered under the US government’s immunisation program include those to treat Hepatitis B (HepB), Rotavirus (Rota), Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenza type b conjugate (Hib), Pneumococcal, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), Varicella, Hepatitis A (HepA), Meningococcal, Inactivated polio virus (IPV) and Varicella.