Page 146 - CW E-Magazine (28-5-2024)

Pharmaceuticals

MILESTONE
Serum Institute ships fi rst batch of malaria vaccine

to Africa

Vaccine maker Serum Institute of capacity to scale up to 100-mn doses “As two diverse democracies, the
India (SII) has shipped its fi rst R21/ annually, it said. US and India have fl ourishing pri-
Matrix- M malaria vaccine consign- vate sectors that foster innovation,
ment to Africa. Initial shipment knowledge and access to high-qua-
The initial shipment will be sent to lity healthcare. The development of
This is the second malaria vaccine the Central African Republic (CAR), the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine
(the fi rst is from GSK) authorised glo- followed by other African countries represents a great step forward in our
bally for children in malaria-endemic such as South Sudan and the Demo- battle against this deadly parasite.
regions. It was developed in collabora- cratic Republic of Congo, Serum Insti- The quality, affordable vaccines that
tion with the University of Oxford and tute of India (SII) said. Of the 1,63,800 will be produced through this partner-
Novavax’s Matrix-M adjuvant. The doses of the vaccine allocated for CAR ship between Novavax and SII will
malaria vaccine also received support region, 43,200 doses were dispatched prevent hundreds of thousands of
from the European and Developing from SII’s Pune facility on Monday. deaths every year across the globe,”
Countries Clinical Trials Partnership The company further said that other US Ambassador to India, Mr. Eric
(EDCTP), the Wellcome Trust and the US delegates, including Eric Garcetti, Garcetti said.
European Investment Bank (EIB). US Ambassador to India; Mehreen
Datoo, Associate Fellow, Clinical Lec- Mr. John C. Jacobs, Novavax Presi-
The R21/Matrix-M vaccine re- turer in Infectious Diseases, Nuffi eld dent and CEO, added that the vaccine
ceived WHO recommendation for use Department of Medicine University of would help stop the devastating health
in children last October, followed by Oxford; Silvia Taylor, Executive Vice and economic impact of malaria on
the announcement of its Phase 3 trial President, Chief Corporate Affairs and nearly half of the world’s population,
data results this year. SII has manu- Advocacy Offi cer, Novavax; were pre- including the loss of 1,300 children
factured 25-mn doses to date, with a sent at SII for “various engagements”. every day.

MARKET STRATEGY
Alembic Pharma plans to launch 25 drugs in US

generics segment this fi scal

Gujarat-based Alembic Pharma- 28% of Alembic Pharma’s revenue of and will be limited to debottlenecking
ceuticals is gearing up for a busy Rs. 6,229-crore, which grew 19% year-on- of the existing facilities.
launch schedule in the ongoing fi scal year (YoY) in FY24. The India busi-
(FY2024-25) in the US market. ness that accounts for 35%, grew 7% The Vadodara-based fi rm, which
in FY24. has been around for over a century, is
“We are planning to launch 25 a late entrant in the US market. It has
products in the US generics segment in Mr. Amin said Alembic is targeting more than made up for it. It has been
FY25,” said Mr. Pranav Amin, MD of R&D spending of Rs. 550-Rs. 600-crore on an investment overdrive, spending
Alembic Pharma, in an interview with in FY25, primarily for developing a about Rs. 700- Rs. 750-crore per annum
the Economic Times. “We have EIRs pipeline of products for the US market, on R&D to build a complex pipeline
(establishment inspection reports) for largely consisting of complex formula- of products for the US market, and
all of our facilities, so there is no regu- tions such as injectables, ophthalmic, spent more than Rs. 1,800-crore to
latory overhang,” he added. oncology, inhalation, and dermatology build three new USFDA-compliant
products. He added that the expenditure facilities to manufacture these pro-
The US business accounts for on capex will be low for next two years ducts.

146 Chemical Weekly May 28, 2024

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