Bharat Biotech to launch typhoid vaccine in November having completed the pre-clinical trials, Bharat Biotech International is all set to launch the country’s first recombinant typhoid vaccine in November this year. The company with the assistance of NIH-Bethesda has formulated the product and has obtained quality approvals.

The current market in India for typhoid vaccine is estimated at 25 million doses per annum.” However the demand estimation for the typhoid vaccine in India will be driven by increased awareness of prevention virus care. The demand is expected to increase to 100 million doses per annum, Mr.Sudhakar N Peram, Vice President (Marketing), Bharat Biotech, told the press persons here on Tuesday.

“It is estimated that about 16 million case of typhoid fever occur annually resulting in about six lac deaths per year”, he said. On the product front, Bharat Biotech has entered into strategic alliance with the Mumbai based Rs 300 Core Unichem Laboratories for pushing up its marketing activities.

According to the terms of agreement, Unichem would market Bharat Biotech’s Hepatitis-B and Saccharomyces boulardii.

Bharat Biotech has the capacities to manufacture about 100 million doses of Hepatitis-B vaccine at present. However during the year 2002-03 the company could produce only 8.50 million doses.” The tie-up with Unichem would help our company to push up sales of Hepatitis-B and Saccharomyces boulardii in particular”, Mr.Preetam said.

Mr.Ashok Jain, Chief executive (Pharma), Unichem said. “We have the necessary infrastructure to market the biotech products both within India and overseas”, Unichem has marketing network in south East Asia regions, CIS, Middle East, and African countries. Country wide, Unichem has a marketing force of about 900 personnel and a reach of 1.75 lac doctors across the country, he said.

Unichem is hopeful of generating at least Rs.10 crore in sales from Bharat biotech during the current fiscal year. Bharat Biotech has grossed the turnover of 27 crore for the FY 2002-03. The Mumbai based private equity advisory and investment banking service company, Firstcall India equity advisors, has helped Bharat Biotech and Unichem to forge the strategic alliance.