By IANS
Hyderabad : Shantha Biotechnics, the first Indian company to develop, manufacture and market a recombinant human healthcare product in the country, Saturday opened its new state-of-the-art high speed vaccine vial filling facility.
The new high speed vial fill and finish suite, located at the firm's 80,000 square foot facility in Mechal near the city, will have a capacity to fill and finish 3,00,000 vials a day.
"The new facility has given us the potential to triple our vaccine filling capacity – from the current level of 1,00,000 vials to 3,00,000 vials per day," Varaprasad Reddy, managing director of Shantha Biotechnics, told reporters.
Minister for Major Industries J. Geeta Reddy inaugurated the facility in the presence of B. Sam Bob, principal secretary, department of industries and commerce, and N.K. Prasad, commissioner of for industries.
Set up at a cost of Rs.250 million, the new facility is part of Shantha Biotechnics' strategic expansion plans focused on servicing existing and growing market demands for its range of vaccines.
Apart from Hepatitis B, DPT-Hep B and Tetanus toxoid vaccines, the vaccines under development like those for Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) and Rotavirus and the soon to be launched pentavalent vaccine will be formulated and blended in the new facility.
Varaprasad Reddy announced that the company had obtained WHO pre-qualification for its combination of DPT+ Hepatitis-B vaccine 'Shantetra'. He said that the approval will bring major growth in vaccine sales to UN agencies.