The Hindu : National : HLL launches two vaccines

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 31, 2006
ePaper

National

National

HLL launches two vaccines

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Hindustan Latex Ltd (HLL), a mini-ratna company under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on Monday launched hepatitis-B and typhoid vaccines.

HIVAC-B and TYFEX were launched by the Health and Family Welfare Secretary P.K. Hota. The vaccines, manufactured in association with the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd, will be marketed in India and abroad.

According to the World Health Organisation, in India one in every 20 persons is a hepatitis-B virus carrier. Nearly 42 million carry this virus, which is believed to be 100 times more infectious than HIV and like HIV it can be passed through blood transfusion, needles, body fluids and sexual intercourse. The virus leads to acute jaundice, liver sclerosis and cancer, the efficacy of treatment with drugs being just between 30 and 40 per cent.

HIVAC-B, a recombinant vaccine for hepatitis-B, uses HIMAX technology, a process that eliminates ultra centrifugation and the use of toxic metals while increasing the recovery of antigenic protein to levels the highest in the world.

Similarly, typhoid is the fifth most communicable disease in India. Children constitute almost 70 per cent of the hospitalised victims and even present day drugs are proving ineffective against resistant strains of the typhoid bacteria. With a significant proportion of the child population affected, introduction of effective vaccines such as TYFEX is also important.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National