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Written By: Admin | Updated : September 14, 2012 12:10 PM IST
JEEV, a vaccine to tackle Japanese Encephalitis was launched by an Indian pharma, Biological E. Ltd. It is the country's first indigenous vaccine to tackle JE. Priced at Rs 985, the vaccine will be available in the private domestic market. In due course, it will be exported, according to Mahima Datla, Senior Vice-President of the company. The drug is based on a vaccine made by Austrian vaccine maker Intercell. "We have indigenised the technology and developed an inactivated vaccine targeting children and adults in India, where the infection is high'', she told newspersons here.
The Hyderabad-based vaccine producer is set to produce 10 million doses which can be upscaled based on the demand. It also produces vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, Hib, etc.
Japanese encephalitis
Japanese Encephalitis is a mosquito-borne viral form of encephalitis. Only about 0.4% cases of Japanese Encephalitis result in acute encephalitis. Encephalitis results in inflammation of the brain. The patient's central nervous system is affected. This results in fever and/or a sudden onset of mental issues like seizures, confusion, disorientation, etc. Mortality is usually high among children.
According to WHO, about 15,000 die annualy due to the after-effects of JE. In India, more than 8,000 confirmed cases were recorded in 2011 of whom, 1,100 died. JEEV is a second generation inactivated vaccine. Its safety has been established in trials and is licensed by the Drug Controller General of India. Intercell's vaccine, which formed the basis for the technology transfer to BE, is licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration.
