Serum Institute to launch thermostable rotavirus vaccine in 9 countries in 2020

Vaccines major Serum Institute of India is looking to launch its thermostable rotavirus vaccine Rotasiil in nine more countries next year.

Rotasiil remains stable for up to 30 months at a temperature of 25 degree Celsius, Serum Institute said in a statement.

This helps reduce vaccine wastage as well as the cost of logistics and maintenance of the vaccine during storage and increases accessibility, it added.

"The vaccine is expected to launch in Philippines, Niger, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Bahrain, Russia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan within the next year," Serum Institute CEO Adar C Poonawalla told PTI.

Rotasiil will help reduce misapplication, wastefulness, cost for logistics, increase availability and therefore, help millions more lead a healthier life, he added.

"Providing a healthy life to their children is the dream of every parent, and the thermostabilising of the Rotasiil vaccine is one step towards that direction," Poonawalla said.

The vaccine has so far been supplied to Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Albania and D.R. Congo, apart from India, Serum Institute said.

The Government of India is already using Rotasiil in the universal immunisation programme in its bid to improve public healthcare across the nation.

Founded in 1966 by Cyrus Poonawalla, Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally with more than 1.5 billion doses per annum.

Vaccines manufactured by the company are being used in around 170 countries across the globe for national immunisation programmes.