India plans to launch five-in-one (pentavalent) vaccine immunization programme; Shantha Bio, Bharat Biotech could win major supply contracts

India plans to introduce pentavalent vaccines initially in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu

Domestic vaccine makers including Bharat Biotech and Shantha Biotechnics could win massive orders from the government of India, as the health ministry plans to introdoce five-in-one or pentavalent vaccine programme in the country.

The pentavalent combination vaccines provide immunity against five commonly found infections in such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), hepatitis B and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae b) in infants and children.

Indian government plans to introduce pentavalent vaccines as part of its immunization programme in five states– Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu — during 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Indian might expand the programme to more states as soon as the supply of complex pentavalent vaccines are ensured. Pentavalent vaccines assure better success rates in immunization programmes as it ensures better compliance because children need not have to take the usual five injections because pentavalent vaccines can be admininistered in single visit.

Over 130 countries have already shifted to pentavalent vaccines. Meanwhile India still stuck in tetravalent (four-in-one) vaccines in its National Immunisation Programme,following the recommendation of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) two years ago. Indian Health Ministry had decided to introduce HIB vaccine last only year.

Hib vaccine give immunity for children against Haemophilus Influenza type B (HIB), which causes illnesses like meningitis, pneumonia and septic arthritis. The expenditure finance committee has already sanctioned Rs 400 crore for the project, even though the health ministry still awaits the union cabinet nod to officially launch the programme.

The health ministry is also seeking funds from the World Bank for the project, reports said. The Health Ministry has already consulted the domestic pentavalent vaccine makers for to ensure uninterrupted supply of vaccine throughout the programme. Shantha Biotechnics and Bharat Biotech are among the leading suppliers of pentavalent vaccines in India.

Recently,Shantha Biotechnics has bagged $340 million worth of contracts from the United Nations to supply a pentavalent vaccine for a period of three years, announced the French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis, which controls a majority stake in Shantha Bio.

Shantha Biotechnics will supply its pentavalent vaccine Shan 5 which offers protection against 5 infections –diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Haemophilus influenza B and Hepatitis B –in children over a period starting from 2010 to 2012, as per the contract terms. Shan5 is India’s first indigenously developed liquid pentavalent vaccine (DTP-Hep B-Hib).

Shan 5 is used for vaccination of infants aged more than 6 weeks and given in three doses. Hyderabad, southern India -based Shantha Biotechnics is the first Indian company to develop, manufacture and market a recombinant human healthcare product Shanvac-B.

Shanvac-B is the first Indian Hepatitis-B vaccine to be pre-qualified by WHO, Geneva, for supplying to UN agencies globally.

Bharat Biotech’s International’s (BBIL) COMVAC5 is another pentavalent vaccine brand available in India.

A few pentavalent vaccine brands such as Sanofi Aventis’ Pentaxim are also marketed in India.