Panacea Biotec, Indonesia's Bio Farma tie up for measles vaccine

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) Panacea Biotec Ltd, an Indian Biotechnology company today announced it's collaboration with Indonesia's PT Bio Farma, to jointly market and manufacture the measles vaccine in developing countries.

Under the agreement signed today by Panacea Biotec Joint MD Rajesh Jain and PT Bio Farma President Director Marzuki Abdullah, Panacea will source the entire bulk vaccine from PT Bio Farma, and the packaging, supply and marketing for the vaccine, will be handled by Panacea.

''The reason we collaborated with the state-owned PT Bio Farma is that currently, there is only one manufacturer of the measles vaccine in India (Serum Institute of India Ltd), and there is a huge gap between the demand and supply of the vaccine. Our focus is to fill that gap and make as large a quantity of the vaccines as possible,'' Mr Jain told reporters here.

The drug will commercially be available in the market by 2008, and will be sold under the brand name of Panacea Biotec.

''This collaboration will help boost Panacea Biotec's revenues and profits besides widening the product range,'' Mr Abdullah said.

The measles vaccine market is estimated at around 25-30 million dollars globally, with the annual demand in India at 40 million doses. The vaccine is to be given to a child of nine-months.

Panacea Biotec will supply the vaccine to UNICEF, PAHO countries, countries in the African Region, LATAM countries, the Asian region, CIS countries and countries in West Asia, besides to WHO.

Currently PT Bio Farma is one of the four manufacturers, pre-qualified by WHO for supply of measles vaccine to UN agencies.

Panacea Biotech presently has four R&D centres in India -- both in the pharma and vaccine areas -- two in Delhi, one in Mohalli and one in Lalru (Punjab). Another R&D centre will be operational in Navi Mumbai by September 2007.

''We have over 2,300 employees including over 200 scientists all over India. With the unit scheduled to be up in Mumbai in September 2007, we plan to add another 100 scientists to the list,'' Mr Jain said.

''The company has four manufacturing facilities in Delhi, and Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. A soft gelatin plant will be operational by this weekend in Baddi, while another pharma plant will come up in 2007,'' Mr Jain said.

Panacea Biotec's product portfolio includes pain management, diabetes, cardiovascular, organ transplantion and osteoporosis.

Margins for the company are reportedly higher in the Pharma section as compared to the vaccice space, and the company is scouting further tie-ups and collaborations globally, in both areas. ''In the next few months, you can expect news on that front. We are looking at the Gulf, CIS countries, South East Asia, among others for collaborations,'' Mr Jain said.

Vaccines under development at Panacea Biotec are the inactivated Hepatitis A, Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis and Anthrax.

''All these products will be in the markets between 2008 and 2010,'' Mr Jain said.

UNI RA CS BD1632