Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) launched the chromatographically purified vero cell vaccine, Rabirix for the treatment of rabies. The objective is to provide affordable, safe and effective healthcare solutions.

The launch of the vaccine was done in Hyderabad by Dr Julie Gerberding, director, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with Dr Krishna M Ella, chairman and managing director, Bharat Biotech.

Rabirix has been indigenously developed by BBIL and can be used for both prophylactic (vaccine-pre bite) and therapeutic (post bite) treatments. Rabirix is manufactured in a state of the art manufacturing facility conforming to the current good manufacturing practices established by Regulatory agencies such as the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), World Health Organisation (WHO), United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), European Medical Evaluation Agency (EMEA).

Rabirix is a purified vero cell based rabies vaccine (PVRV), which has been extensively evaluated clinically for pre-bite and post-bite applications, and has proven to be well tolerated with minimal or no side effects. The immune sera samples from phase III clinical trials have been analysed at the National Institute of Virology, Pune and the efficacy of the product has thus been established.

According to Dr Krishna M. Ella, chairman and managing director BBIL, "The rabies vaccines contribute approximately 50 per cent of the vaccine market in India in terms of value. Currently, the market size of rabies vaccines is estimated to be around Rs 250 crore. To promote vaccines exclusively, we have created a dedicated marketing division christened Immutika (Immunisation and Tika)." He also added that Rabirix is yet another effort towards our commitment to providing affordable, safe and effective health care solutions."

Rabies is an acute viral encephalitis transmitted from an infected animal to human by exposure to saliva. Human infection with rabies is nearly always secondary to animal bite, with dog being the major reservoir for human Rabies. Once clinical symptoms have occurred, the disease is almost invariably fatal. Although all age groups are susceptible, Rabies is most common in people aged below 15 years, with 30 per cent-50 per cent of post-exposure treatments given to children aged 5-14 years. Rabies is currently an incurable disease. No tests are currently available to diagnose rabies infection in humans before the onset of clinical disease.

Four million people are exposed to the rabies virus, worldwide every year and 60,000 people fall victim to it. In India 3 million people under go anti-rabies treatment and 30,000 deaths are reported annually which accounts for 50 per cent of mortality from rabies worldwide.

The WHO estimates between 35,000 to 50,000 human rabies cases worldwide, and approximately 30,000 cases from India. Human rabies is most common in people younger than 15 years. 90 per cent of these deaths are due to bite of rabid dogs. Even a vaccinated dog could transmit the rabies virus.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to help themselves.