The Hyderabad-based Shanta Biotechnics Ltd has opened its new current cGMP compliant vial filling facility. With this the company's total vaccine filling capacity would go up to three times higher. The facility is situated in the existing vaccine manufacturing facility in Medchal in Hyderabad.

With an investment of Rs 25 crore the facility will have a capacity to fill and finish 3,00,000 vials a day. This is part of Shanta's strategic expansion plans focused on servicing its existing and growing market demand for its range of vaccines.

Announcing the initiative to the press here, Dr K Varaprasad Reddy, managing director of the company, said 'The newly open facility has given us the potential to triple our vaccine filling capacity-from current level of 1, 00,000 vials to 3,00,000 vials per day.'

The initiative is planned to accelerate the company's plans to launch pentavalant vaccine in coming months. The facility will be utilised for formulation and blending the current vaccines under development like Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) and rotavirus which would be available by the turn of this decade, besides for making pentavalent vaccine,' he said.

The fill and finish facility has three filling lines comprising of high speed vial filling line, inject filling line and glass pre-fill syringe line. The installed capacity is 1,50,00; 60,000 and 40,000 vials respectively.

He said, the company has obtained WHO-Geneva pre-qualification for its vaccine 'SHANTETRA.' The approval will bring major growth in Shanta's vaccine sale to UN agencies. The vaccine is a combination of DTP and hepatitis B. Currently, the company exports vaccines to more than 50 countries.

'The total market size for Pentavalent in terms of monetary value is estimated to be around Rs15-20 crore. The vaccine is combination of DTP+HepB+Hib. Though the price has not yet been fixed, the vaccine would cost a bit lower than existing products in the market', Jaideep Ghosh, general manager marketing, said. Currently, GSK and CHIRON Panacea have their own pentavalent vaccines in the market.

The company has filed Investigational New Drug (IND) application for monoclonal antibodies. This is being planned for anti-cancer segment. It will soon commence clinical trials and probably the vaccines would be available by 2011, Dr. Reddy hopes. In near future the company is planning to have greater presence in Europe.

Dr Reddy said, 'The company would expand further in coming years to augment its business strategies. The expansion is planned in Medak district in Andhra Pradesh. He appealed to the state government to allocate land, water and power. The area required for expansion is around 30-50 acres. The company would invest Rs 150 crore in the venture through internal accruals.