Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday inaugurated Serum Institute of India’s (SII) new plant with an investment of ₹4,000 crore at Manjri in Pune.
The new unit, which will commence operations from November, is equipped with modern technologies and equipment which will ensure robust functioning and product manufacturing.
The unit is built in compliance with the US and European vaccine manufacturing regulations. Of the total investment of ₹4,000 crore, ₹3,200 crore has already been invested. The new manufacturing unit seeks to create more job opportunities and increase SII’s market share in the international market.
It will maximise the production of vaccines such as HPV and TDAP in addition to Thermostable Rotasiil along with monoclonal antibodies like Trastuzumab (Herceptin) and Ustekinumab (Stelara®). Each of the vaccines will help protect and provide a healthy life to recipients.
Speaking on the occasion, Harsh Vardhan said, “It is our prerogative to ensure that the Indian population has a healthy life, and for that vision, we have worked on several campaigns. Initiatives like Serum Institute of India’s new plant at Manjri will help us ensure that we have the ease of access and availability to fulfil the needs of the Indian people.”
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, said, “As an organisation, our goal is to effectively utilise our resources to provide the best preventive healthcare solutions to the global population.”
Recently, SII, in association with NIH (USA), developed a thermostable rotavirus vaccine. Touted as a revolutionary development, the vaccine remains stable and has the highest level of potency for a longer duration in non-regulated temperatures. The vaccine, called Rotasiil, remains stable for up to 30 months at a temperature of 25°C.