India unveils 'super-cheap' rotavirus vaccine

[GhorMaanas]

The Phase-III clinical trial of low cost Indian-made rotavirus vaccine Rotavac has demonstrated strong efficacy and excellent safety profile and if approved by the Drugs Controller General of India, it would be available at Rs. 54 per dose.



This vaccine, developed under a public-private partnership, will be the third to hit the Indian market, but will be more affordable than the two vaccines now available costing more than Rs. 1,000 per dose.

The clinical study has demonstrated for the first time that Rotavac is efficacious in preventing severe rotavirus diarrhoea in low-resource settings in India, and developing countries in Asia and Africa. Strain diversity, too, has not apparently affected its efficacy.

on rotavirus -

Rotavirus is responsible for approximately 4,53,000 child deaths due to diarrhoea globally each year. It is particularly threatening in India where — according to a recent study — around 1,00,000 children die each year from severe diarrhoea and dehydration caused by rotavirus.

general info about the vaccine here.

source - India unveils first indigenous rotavirus vaccine - The Hindu

 

[skeletor]

great news.

 

[Flash]

Isn't this a old news? It was launched 3 days ago.

 

[GhorMaanas]

no news is 'old' news.
people are waking up and gossipmongering over decades old matters; 3 days is nothing!

this important event was overshadowed by over-coverage of the AAP fiasco and such, hence thought of sharing about it here.

 

[$hadow]

This is great. Now this should be available in plenty to help the lower section buy it anytime.

 

[GhorMaanas]

yes; the project was unofficially undertaken in 1985, and officially the result has been derived after full 15 years!
in future (i hope soon), we will get to hear about some solution for the dreaded sickle cell disease. stem-cell research for that is going on at Bengaluru in collaboration with Japanese scientists (project undertaken after our PM had visited Japan last year). if am not wrong, some positive signs and a few good results are coming in from it already.

 

[gemini90]

This is very good news. Additionally gives much more fillip to efforts to protect our pharmaceutical industry from the western mnc's onslaught.

 

[GhorMaanas]

although i don't frequent reddit, but saw the page on discussion about this topic there. felt good reading some comments there, a feeling that is a rarity to come by on the interweb these days.