Vaccine-maker Bharat Biotech International Ltd is planning to sell its vaccine against Rotavirus diarrhoea —Rotavac — at $1 per dose in the global markets.

The Hyderabad-based company's Rotavac, being claimed as the country's first indigenously developed rotavirus vaccine, is now undergoing phase-III clinical trails.

“Offering rotavirus vaccines at $1 per dose is a reaffirmation of our commitment to make vaccines globally affordable,'' Dr Krishna Ella, Managing Director, Bharat Biotech, said in a release here on Monday.

When contacted, Mr Ella told Business Line that if the trials were successful, the vaccine was likely to enter the markets in 2014.

Bharat Biotech, along with other vaccine-makers across the world, was asked to come out with its likely pricing by the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI), a non-profit entity which subsidises vaccines for the benefit of the common man.

“The GAVI's pledging conference is scheduled for June 12-13, 2011, in London. All vaccine-makers will have to announce their prices there so that they can be considered for subsidies,'' Dr Ella said.

Rotavac could be sold at $1 because of the ‘novel' concepts used in its development and the innovative manufacturing processes adopted by his company, he added.

At present, the price of rotavirus vaccines being sold by GSK and Merck (US) in the global markets is priced at $8 dollar per dose for Governments, and $60 over-the-counter, he said.

Related Topics