Serum Institute acquires Czech firm to expand polio vaccine capabilities

The Pune-based firm is expanding manufacturing facilities & launching new products

Serum Institute of India (SII) is widening its manufacturing footprint and launching new products as it aims to consolidate its position as the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume.

On Tuesday, Pune-based Serum Institute acquired the Czech arm of a US-based firm- Nanotherapeutics -for 72 million Euros (around Rs 500 crore) as part of its growth strategy. This is the second overseas acquisition by the company in a period of five years and is likely to quadruple its injectable polio dosage capacity to 200 million doses a year by 2019. The company will invest another 40 million Euros (about Rs