Serum Institute targets 18% growth

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India, the biggest supplier of vaccines to the Indian government for its health programmes, is set to achieve an 18 per cent growth in sales turnover this fiscal year.

With its turnover pegged at Rs 450 crore at the end of the last fiscal, the company expects to achieve a sales turnover in the excess of Rs 530 crore by March 31 this year.

"The vaccines market in India is about four per cent of the total pharmaceuticals and drugs market and is growing at a healthy rate of 20 per cent every year. We have virtually no competition in some segments like TT and DPT, while we are the leaders in the other segments," said Masud Ahmed, marketing director of Serum Institute of India.

Ahmed added that though Serum Institute was late in introducing the hepatitis B vaccine, it has already become the second biggest player in the segment and is growing fast.

Serum Institute manufactures polyvalent anti-snake venom serum, measles vaccine on human diploid cells, measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine, polyvalent anti-snake venom serum (central Africa), recombinant hepatitis B vaccines among other products.

Some of the products in the pipeline are hepatitis B-DTP combination vaccine, BCG vaccine, rabies vaccine (human diploid cells) and rotavirus vaccine.

The emphasis will now be on making newer vaccines, officials said. Apart from making a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, the work on quadruple vaccine involving hepatitis B with DTP is complete.

Work is on to combine this with haemophilus B vaccine to make an effective pentavalent vaccine.

On the DNA vaccine front, work is on for developing a DNA rabies vaccine. Also, a novel peptide vaccine for measles is being developed. Research and development is on for a vaccine against the AIDS.

Serum Institute has also chalked out diversification plans which include advances in a wider range of vaccinology including molecular biology and becombinant DNA (rDNA) technology, protein biochemistry and formulation of antigens containing newer excipients for better performance of the vaccines and delivery systems.

The Institute, which exports vaccines to 139 countries, is constantly looking for newer overseas markets to expand its base further.