Nation

Serum Institute launches India's first locally developed vaccine for cervical cancer

To commemorate National Girl Child Day and Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, the Serum Institute of India (SII) introduced CERVAVAC, the country’s first locally developed quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (qHPV) vaccine. CERVAVAC is a vaccine against cervical cancer.

“On the occasion of India’s National Girl Child Day and Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Serum Institute of India is pleased to launch the first made-in-India HPV vaccine by the hands of our Home Minister Amit Shah,” said SII CEO Adar Poonawalla in a tweet.

In India, cervical cancer is the second most prevalent disease in women between the age of 15 and 44. The Human Papilloma Virus, which is sexually transmitted, is the main cause of cervical cancer. Despite being mostly avoidable, cervical cancer ranks as the second most common disease in India and is responsible for approximately one-fourth of all cervical cancer fatalities worldwide. Most cervical cancers are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and the HPV vaccine can prevent most incidences of cervical cancer if given to girls or women before they are exposed to the virus.

HPV vaccinations guard against infection brought on by the Human Papilloma Viruses group of more than 200 closely related viruses. Of these, more than 40 diseases are transferred via sexual contact. Genital warts can be brought on by as many as two HPV types, and roughly a dozen HPV types can cause certain types of cancer, namely cervical, oropharyngeal, vulvar, vaginal, penile, and anal cancers.

Earlier at the Davos World Economic Forum in 2023, CEO Poonawalla stated that the HPV vaccination took the company roughly six to seven years to produce. SII received market authorization from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in the year 2022 to develop a cervical cancer vaccine that was locally produced.

The collaboration between the Serum Institute, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation led to the creation of the qHPV CERVAVAC.

 

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