Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN), a voluntary public health driven alliance of state-owned and private vaccine manufacturers from developing countries now intends to strengthen its collaboration with Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunization (GAVI) to increase its bandwidth in immunization for the developing countries.

The voluntary public health organization is also looking to promote policies that will expand the incentives for vaccine research. A roadmap for the vaccine industry was chalked out to overcome hurdles like distribution infrastructure, create a platform for innovation, strengthen collaboration with multilateral agencies in addition to encourage incentives by Government for vaccine development.

The decade-old DCVMN has been offering quality vaccines at affordable prices to the developing world. It has 19 members of which 7 members are WHO pre-qualified. Its network nations are Argentina, Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Vaccinology institutions are WHO, IVI, RIVM/NVI which extend the technical support.

Industry representation includes Anlis, Bharat Biotech, Biological E, Bio Pharma, BioNet Asia, Birmex, China National Biotech Group, Fiocruz, Finlay Institute, Indian Immunologicals, Instituto Fundaco Butantan, Ivac, LG Life Sciences, Panacea Biotech, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute, Serum Institute of India, Sinovac Biotech, The Biovac Institute, Vabiotech, Xiamen Innovax Biotech, Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Vacsera and Zydus Cadilla.

At the 11th Annual general meeting held in Hyderabad between September 13 & 15, 2010, DCVMN provided an opportunity for its partners to participate in shaping a global research and development strategy. An analysis of the current status of vaccine research and development and identify opportunities within WHO review of new vaccine technologies was provided. Further, it reviewed the opportunities and bottlenecks in vaccine research, development and introduction of new products in the global markets.

DCVMN also emphasized the need to improve networking among its members and find ways to ink new possibilities that will help produce new products required by global market among its identified labs.

"We provide two third of the vaccines. Being a key partner in the global immunization agenda in association with GAVI , our aim is to increase participation of our members and strengthen global networking and collaboration", stated Dr. Akira Homma, president, DCVMN.

According to the WHO projections for 2010, the number of future deaths averted as a result of GAVI support provided since 2000 is 5 million.

India's vaccine major Bharat Biotech played host to the three-day event which had 125 participants from 31 vaccine manufacturers representing 14 countries & 12 international agencies.

Dr. Krishna Ella, CMD, Bharat Biotech urged policy makers to work together to find ways to improve access to available vaccines. There is a need to create an environment that would stimulate innovation and further research particularly for neglected diseases that are endemic in the emerging markets like malaria, rabies and seasonal flu. "It is equally important issues related to vaccines need to receive "bigger" attention from policy makers concerned about public health," he added.