Nagpur: Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday announced that the company is planning to launch its indigenously-developed vaccine to treat cervical cancer in women.
The vaccine is said to be launched later this year. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Tuesday granted market authorization to the SII to manufacture India’s first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer.
Poonawalla, who is also known as the ‘vaccine king’ on Tuesday tweeted, “For the first time there will be an Indian HPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer in women that is both affordable and accessible. We look forward to launching it later this year and we thank the #DCGI @MoHFW_INDIA for granting approval today.”
The vaccine giant had applied to the DCGI seeking the market authority of the qHPV after the phase 2/3 clinical trials were completed with the help of the Department of Biotechnology. Cervical cancer in India ranks as the second most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.
