The vaccine majors are always searching for innovative methods to compete with their domestic counterparts as well as MNCs for catching the no.1 slot in the multi-crore vaccine market in India. And nothing but the combination vaccines still remains as the multi-pronged tool in carving a successful saga for them. But the unhealthy competition leads the leading companies to the street. As the combination vaccines like pentavalent vaccine, quadruple vaccine, Hexavac are getting popular in the pharmaceutical circles nowadays, the leading biotech companies are playing foul to be in the leading position.

The two major players in the sector, Serum Institute and Shantha Biotechnics are running neck and neck to catch the market. Last year, there was a storm over the launch of the country's first indigenously developed 4-in-1-combination vaccine in India. Both Serum and Shantha claim that they are the first to launch 4-in-1-combination vaccine in India.

Both the companies had launched its combination vaccines for DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and hepatitis B in the second week of August. Serum has launched Q-vac and Shantha has launched Shantetra.

Refuting the claim made by Hyderabad-based Shantha Biotechnics, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, chairman and managing director, Serum Institute of India had said, "On July 18, the National Control Laboratory, Kasauli issued the release of the vaccine to Serum Institute of India whereas the release of commercial production to Shantha Biotechnics was done a month later on August 19 for the same vaccine."

Dr Poonawalla adds, "Because of the deluge of rain, we delayed the actual launch and dispatch of our vaccines as can be seen from the copies of company invoices in the first week of August. On August 10, Serum Institute of India has sold over 100,000 doses of the combination vaccine."

Priced at Rs 50 per dose, Serum's vaccine is one-fourth the cost of similar products available in the market, the company said. Q-Vac immunisation for a child will reduce the number of injections to three, from the six administered at present, the company claims.

He claims both the DTP and Hepatitis -B injections of the company have been qualified by WHO. Serum Institute is the fourth global player in combination vaccines and has invested Rs 50 crore for the development of the combination vaccine.

The sources from Shantha Biotechnics, says, "Shantha has a reputation of a trusted vendor to the Supra National customers such as UNICEF and WHO. Shantetra would capitalize on this reputation built by the flagship product Shanvac-B to enter the large supra national market."

Even as combination vaccines are available in India through multinational companies, their high prices kept the vaccine out of the reach of the majority. For example, separate injections of DTP and hepatitis-B cost Rs 45 for both the vaccines and the MNC combination costs Rs 225 per dose.