After a decade long research, Pune-based Serum Institute of India has finally launched its anti-rabies vaccine in Kerala. This modern vaccine, developed on human diploid cells is intra-muscular has a dosage level of five. The company's existing capacity for the vaccine is 200,000 doses, which will be soon expanded to about 40 lakh doses within a year and a half.

"Within a year or so we will be launching the rabies vaccine throughout the country," said Dr. Suresh S. Jadhav, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India. The official maintained that the pricing of the vaccine would be highly competitive. "In future we will be looking at exporting the vaccine," said Masood Ahmed, Marketing Director of the company.

Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, is an acute and highly fatal viral disease of the central nervous system. It is communicated to humans through rabid animals. Nearly 75,000 deaths are reported globally due to rabies each year with 35,000 deaths reported from India alone.

Aventis Pharma, Zydus Cadila, and Hyderabad based Human Biologicals Institute are the major companies manufacturing modern anti-rabies vaccine in the country. The total size of the market is Rs. 170 crore of which about 75 per cent is controlled by Aventis. Modern vaccines use cells, obtained by tissue culture and maintained at minus 196 degree celsius in liquid nitrogen as substrate. The anti-rabies vaccine, popular in rural India is though the old Semple's vaccine, which directly uses rabbit or sheep brain as a substrate. Though cheap, it has to be administrated in 12 doses, which is painful as it is injected through the stomach and may have side effects.

Zydus Cadila's Vaxirab is priced at Rs. 294 exclusive of taxes.

The company sources maintain that field trials have established that Serum's is superior to the available vaccines. The vaccines are being produced at a new manufacturing facility at Hadapsar, Pune.