Bharat Biotech launches conjugate typhoid vaccine

HYDERABAD: Bharat Biotech launched the world’s first clinically proven conjugate Typhoid vaccine ‘Typbar-TCV’, which offers long-term protection and can be given to children as young as six months.

The fourth-generation conjugate typhoid vaccine Typbar-TCV will be available in the market in the next couple of weeks. It will also be exported to countries in South East Asia, South America, Africa, Central Asia and South Asia.

The Rs 300 crore, Hyderabad-based biotechnology firm invested Rs 65 crore to develop Typbar-TCV. It plans to get about Rs 100 crore in business from its typhoid portfolio in the next couple of years from about Rs 40 crore to Rs 50 crore now.

Yet to be priced, Typbar-TCV (0.5ml) will be costlier than the company’s existing typhoid vaccine-Typbar, which is priced at Rs 180 a dose.

According to the World Health Organization Typhoid causes 2.5 lakh to 6 lakh deaths and about 20 million illnesses every year.