Bird flu takes its toll on Zydus' rabies vaccine

With the Union government banning import of eggs following the outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus, or bird flu, in certain Southeast Asian countries, the production of rabbies vaccine by Zydus Cadila Healthcare has been hit.

Zydus Cadila is the only company in the country to produce the vaccine using egg embryo. Named Vaxirab, the highly purified duck embryo rabbies vaccine, is being manufactured in technical collaboration with Berna Biotech of Switzerland, originators of this vaccine and a key player in Europe.

It was launched in October 2002. Company officials said on Monday that, following the ban on egg import by the Government of India on February 3, production of the vaccine has come to a standstill. Zydus imported as many as 6000 eggs a week for manufacturing the vaccine.

The company has now written to the Union Government, seeking a lifting of the ban for the company as duck eggs are imported from United Kingdom, a bird flu-free country, and these eggs are classified as 'Specific Pathogen Free'. A reply from the Government of India is awaited.

"We have written to the Union Government, seeking an exemption from this ban, as duck eggs are being imported from UK and are 'Specific Pathogen Free'. Also, UK has not been affected by bird flu," said Ravindra Mittal, medical advisor and head, regulatory affairs, Zydus Cadila.

The official stated that, since the ban on import of eggs on February 3, 2004, manufacture of Vaxirab has been discontinued. "Zydus is in a position to produce two and a half doses per egg embryo," Mittal said.

The vaccine, which is a new generation rabbies vaccine approved by the World Health Organisation, offers faster action and quicker protection, making it ideal for dog bite cases where the incubation period is lesser.

The clinical trials of Vaxirab were conducted at the Haffkine's Institute in Mumbai in which very high protective antibody levels were demonstrated in both healthy volunteers and patients with animal bites and no adverse effects were reported in any of the subjects.