Having a proud history of innovation to cutting edge genetic and cell
-based technologies, Serum Institute of India Ltd (SIIL), ranked as
India’s numero uno biotechnology company by Biospectrum, has displayed
vigour in scaling higher peaks and is constantly endeavouring to expand
its horizons.
Good and healthy children, adults and adolescents are
productive assets of a society and to keep them healthy it is essential
that they have safe and efficacious immunisation. Serum Institute
contributes to their good health by supplying vaccines and other
biologicals in large quantities and at affordable prices.
Continuing
its endeavour to fight diseases like the pandemic influenza, diarrhoea
and pneumonia, the institute is now putting efforts in accelerating the
development of flu vaccine, rotavirus vaccine and pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine.
Serum Institute has recently introduced the H1N1
vaccine in India. The intranasal delivery technology has caught
attention as it facilitates ease of administration. With this alternate
route of administration a large number of eligible population could be
immunised within a short period. The vaccine has safely been
administered to Indians above three years of age. In addition to the
intranasal delivery vaccine, the Institute plans to introduce Enzavac,
the injectable formulation.
Serum Institute also supplies the
rabies vaccine developed from the human diploid cell and OncoBCG for the
treatment of bladder cancer. MenAfriVac (Meningococcal A conjugate
Vaccine) and Repoetin (Erythropoietin) comprise the recently introduced
products. MenAfriVac has been developed specially for combating
Meningitis A in the poor nations of the Sub Saharan Africa and is being
supplied at affordable prices.
Serum Institute, the worlds fifth
largest vaccine manufacturer by volume has gained recognition as the
world's largest producer of MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) and DTP
(Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) group of vaccines. It is estimated
that two out of every three children immunized in the world are
immunised by a vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute. Vaccines
manufactured by Serum Institute have been used in 140 countries across
the globe.
The institute was founded by a true visionary, Dr.
Cyrus S. Poonawalla in 1966 with a view to manufacture life-saving
immuno-biologicals, which were in short supply in India and were being
imported at high prices. Thereafter, several life-saving biologicals
were manufactured at prices affordable to the common man which could
make the country self-sufficient in tetanus anti-toxin and anti-snake
venom serum, followed by DTP group of vaccines and then later on MMR
group of vaccines.
The philanthropic philosophy of the Institute
has resulted in the production of essential vaccines such as Hepatitis-B
vaccine and combination vaccines at affordable prices , so that the
children the world over are protected from time of birth itself. Dr.
Cyrus Poonawalla has been the recipient of the humanitarian award by
Sabin Vaccine Institute, USA, for providing vaccines at affordable
prices.
Serum Institute has set up the Serum Bio Pharma Park,
India's first Biotech Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The park which is
adjoining the institute's existing manufacturing unit , is a
sector-specific SEZ meant for biotechnology and pharmaceutical products.
The manufacturing facilities are audited by the WHO Geneva and
the vaccines are WHO prequalified. In addition several ministries of
health from different continents like Latin America, Africa/Middle East,
Asia Pacific, Russia/CIS, visit and periodically audit the
laboratories.
Serum Institute vaccines are being used in the
national immunization programmes of several countries. The MR vaccine is
being used in the catch-up and mop-up campaigns of several countries in
their quest to control the incidence of measles and rubella. With the
launch of the DTP-HB-Hib combination vaccines, Serum Institute will be
able to play a significant role in controlling the five dreaded
diseases, thus bringing comfort to millions of children the world over.
Serum
Institute has risen to many occasions when there were outbreaks of
epidemics by supplying millions of doses of different vaccines at short
notice around the world. Reliability and regularity in its supplies of
large volumes has ensured success of immunisation campaigns of various
ministries of health.
The institute takes pride in practising
perpetual philanthropy by making the vaccines affordable and available
in large quantities with a direct reach to the needy. This has enabled
the benefits of advances in science and technology to reach the masses.
Recognitions
Serum
Institute is recognized as a reliable source of vaccines and
biologicals. The institute’s products have been supplied to
international health agencies like the WHO, UNICEF, PAHO. The high
service standards have resulted in several acknowledgements and
appreciation from international agencies and local governments and
awards from the trade authorities.
Recently the Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO) and the Pan American Health and Education
Foundation (PAHEF) presented Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla, Chairman and
Managing Director of Serum Institute with the award for ‘Excellence in
Inter-American Public Health’, making him the First Indian to get this
prestigious award at the hands of Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, Director of
the
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for his extraordinary
contribution to eliminate Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome in
America.
The institute has demonstrated has supplied several
hundred million doses of its measles and rubella vaccines to curb the
scourge of Rubella and Measles to 38 regions in America, for the past 16
years, for routine immunization as well as for mass campaigns.
The
contribution of Serum Institute has been recognised in a true sense,
since the region of Americas have showed no recorded cases of endemic
Rubella since February 2009.