Hester Pharma plans new vaccines

Hester Pharmaceuticals Limited, a major player in The veterinary pharmaceutical industry, will launch two new vaccines for the poultry industry next year.

Talking to Business Standard, Rajiv Gandhi, CEO and managing director of Hester, said, "We will launch two vaccines for Salmonella and Mycoplasma diseases that affect the poultry industry's productivity."

Salmonella and Mycoplasma cause slowing down of the physical growth in hens. Both the diseases lead to fall in the egg production capacity of the hen.

"Both the vaccines will be launched by mid-2007. Initially, they will be launched in the Indian market and later will be exported. The vaccines for Salmonella and Mycopolasma will be introduced for the first time by an Indian pharma company," said Gandhi.

He further informed that both the vaccines were substitutes for import.

Hester is also in talks with international companies for manufacturing animal vaccines for their international markets.

Gandhi said the talks were related to dog and cattle vaccines.

There is also a possibility that the company might source out the vaccines to the foreign company with whom it is in talks with for selling it in the Indian market but under the brand name of the foreign company.

The company registered a growth of 28 percent in its net profit at Rs 1.37 crore for the second quarter ended September 30.