INDIAN GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE VACCINE INDUSTRY
The Indian government is considering setting up a vaccine manufacturers
council in the country in order to promote the manufacture and export of vaccines.
The new council will provide funding for research and development in the industry,
and will help to improve the regulatory environment as well as manufacturing
standards.
The Indian vaccine industry is worth around INR10bn (US$229.73mn) and comprises
22 local and international manufacturers. Vaccine production accounts for an
estimated 40% of the biotechnology industry in India, and is growing at a rate
of 15% per year. This rapid growth has been fuelled by a decline in vaccine
production in developed countries over the last 10 years. In many developed
countries the manufacture of vaccines has become unprofitable due to a reduction
in prices and greater competition for markets in the developing world.
In India, vaccine producers suffer from a limited product range and lack of
innovation, both issues that the proposed vaccine council will aim to address.
The industry has developed significantly since the Expanded Programme for Immunisation
(EPI) was introduced in 1978, with the aim of eradicating a number of treatable
diseases in children. Industry players are now calling for further government
initiatives to be introduced.
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