NDDB arm to open 2000 vaccine centres

The Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals (IIL), a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), will open 2,000 vaccine centres under the Abhay Clinic brand by the end of March across the country.

IIL is a new entrant in the field of human vaccines and currently it makes anti-rabies vaccines under the Abhayrab brand. The vaccines are being marketed through Abhay Clinics.

It will also be shortly launching hepatitis-B, measles and MMR vaccines and the company has plans to launch hepatitis-A vaccines in the near future.

"To market our vaccines and to provide vaccines at the right price, we have introduced the Abhay Clinic concept which is being expanded across the country. The centres, which are being opened under a franchisee model, are run by registered medical practitioners. IIL will be investing in the infrastructure of these centres which will be soon developed as the company's 'one-stop vaccination centre'," said K V Balasubramaniam, managing director, IIL.

IIL's plant in Hyderabad was developed with the technology from Wellcome Foundation of the UK. It is the second largest plant of its type in the world. It is certified under WHO GMP guidelines for veterinary vaccines. Abhayrab is a purified vero cell rabies vaccine and an outcome of research at NDDB's Human Biologicals Institute.

"With the concept of Abhay Clinics, we are working to launch hepatitis-B vaccines during August. We expect to launch measles and MMR vaccines during the beginning of next year. We are also working on the development of various other human vaccines which will be priced at least 30-35 per cent lesser than the existing vaccines in the market as our value proposition is 'affordable immunity with technologically superior biologicals'," he said.

A single dosage of Abhayrab costs Rs 200 for a patient, while the existing anti-rabies vaccine costs around Rs 300 for the same dosage.