Sanofi gets nod for new polio vaccine in India

New Delhi: Drug firm Sanofi on Friday said it has obtained approval for IMOVAX-Polio, an alternative injectable vaccine, to replace the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) ShanIP in India.

IMOVAX-Polio is an alternative IPV vaccine that has been used in more than 100 countries for over 40 years, a Sanofi India spokesperson told PTI.

The vaccine has the same composition/formulation as ShanIPV, the spokesperson added.

"We wish to assure all stakeholders that there will be no shortage of IPV vaccines in India on our account, towards safeguarding the nation's status of remaining polio-free. We remain fully committed to fulfilling our public health mission in India," the spokesperson noted.

To ensure that there is no interruption to the availability of IPV vaccines, the French firm has already obtained approvals for IMOVAX-Polio.

"...Sanofi has had to adapt its strategy and portfolio to these (emerging) trends. Accordingly, Sanofi Healthcare India Pvt Ltd (SHIPL) announced that by the end of 2023, it will discontinue ShanIPV, which was only filled and packaged at our factory in Hyderabad, India," the spokesperson added.

Launched in India in 2015, ShanIPV is a trivalent inactivated injectable vaccine. Under the government’s immunisation programme, the vaccine was injected in two stages — at six weeks and 14 weeks of age.

Sanofi and Serum Institute of India are the leading suppliers of IPV vaccines in India.