Bharat Biotech enters into partnership with Biofabri for TB vaccine

Bharat Biotech on Wednesday said it has entered into a partnership with Biofabri, a Spanish biopharmaceutical firm, for the development, manufacturing and marketing of a new tuberculosis vaccine.

This partnership will guarantee the supply of tuberculosis (TB) vaccines in more than 70 countries, especially in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with a high TB incidence, the company said in a statement.

The new TB vaccine, 'MTBVAC', is being manufactured and developed by Biofabri, in close collaboration with the University of Zaragoza, IAVI and the Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI).

"This agreement between Bharat Biotech and Biofabri would guarantee the worldwide production and the supply of the future vaccine in more than 70 countries with a high TB incidence, such as India which has the highest TB burden in the world, with a 25 per cent of all cases," the company said.

Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said, "We are proud to announce this partnership with BioFabri, where MTBVAC can become a global TB vaccine."

Bharat Biotech has opted for this vaccine candidate owing to its advanced stage of clinical development as well as the promising results from Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials, he added.

The Phase-III clinical trials are expected to start in Senegal, South Africa and Madagascar in the second half of 2022, the company said.

Biofabri CEO Esteban Rodrguez said the agreement with Bharat Biotech is a milestone in the MTBVAC project.

Right from Day 1, the company's goal has been to make a vaccine accessible to everyone at affordable prices in middle and low-income countries where the incidence of tuberculosis is high, Rodrguez added.

"The contract signed with Bharat Biotech ensures that our vaccine reaches countries such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan and South Africa, among others, where tuberculosis is a public health problem due to its high incidence," Rodrguez said.