Serum Institute of India which is Asia’s largest vaccine maker plans to file a fast-track approval to launch a dengue treatment in India. According to Reuters, its chief executive said that it they get the nod on time they will become the first company globally to launch a drug for the virus.
The dengue outbreak in India, especially in its capital, New Delhi has take more than 20 lives. Serum this move comes while many are struggling with the water-borne disease in the country. If the institute succeeds in bringing out the vaccine, it will be a major breakthrough to control the disease. Inadequate public health measures to combat the disease has been one of the major issue. (Also Read: 1st official dengue death in Delhi; 125 % rise in cases in 1 week)
Serum bought rights from US biotech Visterra o sell its innovative treatment for dengue, VIS513 in the Indian subcontinent in a deal worth up to $39 million. The deal happened earlier this month. Serum is owned by Cyrus Poonawalla and he has sought the Indian government to import the drug to conduct trials in India. They had tested the drugs on only animals so far.
Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla, Serum said,”Once you inject this into a patient who has dengue, they should show a result within three or four days, or even sooner. It won’t be a normal vaccine trial that needs to go into thousands of thousands of patients to prove its safety and efficacy.” This drug by Serum will cost Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per injection.
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