Biological E vaccine prequalified by WHO

Company says WHO prequalification is a key step for distribution of the vaccine in developed countries

Hyderabad-based biopharmaceutical company Biological E (BioE) on Monday said, the WHO has prequalified its Japanese Encephalitis vaccine for global use in adults. The company expects that paediatric indication will also be prequalified by the end of the year.

BioE said in a release, the WHO prequalification was a key step for distribution of the vaccine in developed countries. BioE has developed the vaccine based on the technology of Valneva SE, a French biotech company. The two companies entered into a partnership in 2005 and the vaccine is presently being marketed in India under the trade name JEEV.   

“It is an extremely important achievement for vaccines community as our vaccine’s prequalification is well in time to support GAVI’s plans of introducing the JE vaccine in many developing countries,” BioE managing director, Mahima Datla, said.

GAVI Alliance (earlier Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) is a PPP to save children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

BioE had recently entered into a five-year pentavalent supply arrangement with GAVI for forming a joint venture with GlaxoSmithkline to create a six-in-one paediatric vaccine combining GSK’s IPV and BioE’s pentavalent vaccine.