Hyderabad-based Shantha Biotech won the DSIR national award 2003 for its R&D achievements in the biotech sector for Shanferon, its recombinant human interferon alpha 2b. Shanferon had recently won the TDB national technology award. Shanferon is the only interferon developed, manufactured and marketed by an Indian biotech company.

Shanferon was launched in the market in April 2002. It is the world's first recombinant human interferon alpha 2b to be cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris, a eukaryotic host having more advantages over prokaryotic E. coli host. This technology has lead to a cost-effective, safe product with lesser side effects.

Earlier the company had won DSIR national award for Shanvac-B, a recombinant DNA hepatitis-b vaccine, in 1998. Shanvac-B is the first and the only vaccine pre-qualified by WHO-Geneva.