India will launch its first self-developed vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. The vaccine will be launched at IIC Delhi along with SII CEO Adar Poonawalla and Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Sigh.Also Read – First, India to get its vaccine against cervical cancer tomorrow: report
Speaking at the event, Singh said that Covid has increased awareness about preventive healthcare leading to the development of vaccines against cervical cancer. “Schemes like Ayushman Bharat have made us think about preventive healthcare and now we can afford it. The Department of Biotechnology has taken the lead in this regard and is in a collaborative position,” he said. Also Read – No plan to ban Chinese phones priced below Rs 12,000: Union Minister
“Scientific endeavors sometimes do not receive the recognition they deserve. So this event is to celebrate that scientific achievement,” he said. Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawala, who was also present, told reporters on the sidelines of the event, “Cervical cancer vaccine will be affordable and cost Rs. Will be available in the range of 200-400. However, the final price is yet to be decided.” Also Read – Asia Cup 2022: Hardik Pandya says I would have seen my chances even if 15 runs were needed in the final over.
Poonawalla said the vaccine would likely be launched by the end of the year. The first vaccine will be made available through the government channel and some private partners will also be involved from next year, he said. Poonawalla also said that there are plans to make 200 million doses and the vaccine will be administered in India first and only then exported to other countries.
Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, said that more than 2000 volunteers across the country participated for this vaccine. “Public-private partnerships are becoming very important in research like this, this co-creation is going to make all the difference in the world,” he said.
CSIR Director General Dr. N Kalaiselvi said that this is the first step and research in this field and it will continue further. “This government has taken utmost care to bring this kind of innovation by making us ‘self-reliant’,” she said.
According to officials, the qHPV vaccine CERVAVAC demonstrated a robust antibody response that was nearly 1,000 times greater than baseline against all targeted HPV types and across all doses and age groups. Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women aged 15 to 44 years in India.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had granted market authorization to SII in July to manufacture a vaccine against cervical cancer.
(with inputs from PTI)
