Bharat Biotech, Bilthoven Biologicals collaborate for oral polio vaccines production, supply

New Delhi: Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said it has collaborated with the Netherlands-based Bilthoven Biologicals B.V, a wholly-owned arm of Serum Institute of India, to strengthen production and supply security of oral polio vaccines.

An agreement has been signed between the two partners under which Bharat Biotech will procure drug substances for the production of oral polio vaccines (OPVs) to be supplied within India and globally, the company said in a statement.

Through this collaboration, Bharat Biotech and Bilthoven Biologicals (BBio) will jointly obtain regulatory approvals and licences required to commercially manufacture OPVs in India for global supplies from drug substances manufactured in the Netherlands at BBio, it added.

"This collaboration...exemplifies cooperation between vaccine companies, ensuring a secure supply of oral polio vaccines and fortifies the nation's mission to eradicate polio," Bharat Biotech Executive Chairman Krishna Ella said.

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said, "Our vision is to eradicate polio worldwide, taking a crucial step towards reducing the impact of this deadly disease on vulnerable populations." This collaboration will support the effort to create a polio-free world as the global polio eradication initiative approaches the critical phase, the statement said.

Ella said oral polio vaccines have been an integral part of India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) for several decades, with Bharat Biotech being one of the largest suppliers to immunisation programmes across the world.