HLL Biotech inks supply pact for measles vaccine

HLL Biotech Limited (HBL), a subsidiary of HLL Lifecare Ltd, has entered into a long-term supply and technology license agreement with the Institute of Immunology, Zagreb (IMZ), Croatia, for the manufacture of measles vaccine in India.

Under the partnership agreement, IMZ will transfer the technology to manufacture bulk measles vaccine to HBL. To start with, for first two years, IMZ will supply the bulk of measles vaccine to HBL, which will be formulated and filled at HBL's facility in India.

"Our agreement with IMZ is the first major project milestone of HBL's vaccine technology collaboration to help protect children in India and other developing markets from measles," said M Ayyappan, chairman and managing director, HLL.

Under the universal immunisation programme (UIP), the government of India requires 70-80 million doses of measles vaccine per annum. Total production of HBL for the entire Indian market, however, stands at 80 million doses.

Meanwhile, construction work has begun on HBL's Rs 594-crore integrated vaccine complex in Tamil Nadu.