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New DElhi : Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on December 28, 2020, inaugurated India’s first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). The vaccine “Pneumosil” has been developed by the Serum Institute of India Private Limited (SIIPL) in collaboration with partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Recognizing SIIPL as the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccine by number of doses and its contribution to India’s economy, Dr Vardhan remarked that Serum Institute’s Vaccine were being used in 170 countries and every third child in the world is immunised with the manufacturer’s Vaccine. He said that SIIPL developed and got license of first indigenous Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) from Government of India during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. He also mentioned about the extraordinary efforts of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in this endeavour to make India self-reliant in PCV.
Detailing the achievements of SIIPL in tailoring a vaccine for India’s needs, Dr Vardhan said, “Serum Institute’s first Indigenous Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine will be available in the market under brand name “Pneumosil” at an affordable price in single dose (vial and pre-filled syringe) and Multidose (vial) presentations.
Pneumosil has been extensively evaluated in 5 randomised controlled clinical trials and has demonstrated comparable safety and immunogenicity against licensed pneumococcal vaccine across diverse populations of India and Africa, where Pneumosil was administered to adults, toddlers, and infants using different vaccination schedules.
““During clinical trials, Pneumosil was found to be safe and effective in the prevention of Pneumonia disease and based on which Pneumosil has been licensed by Drugs Controller General (India) in July 2020 after approval from Subject Expert Committee (SEC),” Dr Vardhan added.
Dr Vardhan noted, “Pneumosil is an example of India’s capability in Research & Development and manufacturing high end sophisticated Vaccine. In fact, it is matter of pride for our country for this historical milestone during COVID-19 Pandemic because till now we were fully dependent on Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine manufactured by Foreign Manufacturers which are available at very high prices.” He took the occasion to remind the people that Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death among children under five years of age worldwide accounting for nearly 10 lakh deaths globally, according to a PIB release.
Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman, Poonawalla Group of Industries, and Founder, Serum Institute of India Private Limited (SIIPL), Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, SIIPL were also present.