USV Limited, a Mumbai based biopharmaceutical company, has entered into a License Agreement with the Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL) to upscale, manufacture and market a novel conjugate typhoid vaccine developed by a team of scientists at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). BCIL is promoted by Department of Biotechnology for facilitating commercialization of biotechnology projects. An official agreement in this regard was signed here this evening.

The typhoid vaccine involves conjugation of capsular polysaccharide of S. typhi to a carrier protein obtained from the same organism through recombinant DNA technology and rendering the vaccine immunogenic in infants. It has the potential to prevent typhoid fever more effectively than Vi alone in infants, children and adults and can be administered along with other vaccines used for routine immunization of infants. AIIMS scientists, led by Dr Ramesh Kumar, Dr B L Jailkhani, and Dr Sanjukta Sengupta were behind the development of the vaccine.

According to an official statement, the vaccine has shown promising results in animal studies. It can induce a T-cell dependent immune response and thus may be effective even in children below 2 years of age. Repeated doses will act as boosters and even reduce carrier state. The in vitro results have shown 30 - 45 times higher response than Vi polysaccharide alone and thus the vaccine is expected to give a longer protection period - may be even up to 10 years - as the immunity is T cell mediated.

There are several important potential uses for an effective, well-tolerated typhoid vaccine. First, especially if it is effective in infants, it could play an important part in controlling typhoid fever in areas of endemic disease and should facilitate the implementation of school-based vaccination programs. Second, an effective typhoid vaccine could have a substantial effect during outbreaks in locations where water and sewage-disposal systems are inadequate.

Indian market for typhoid vaccine currently is approximately Rs 300 million and is growing. Present global market is estimated at US$ 50 million.

USV is an emerging force in biotherapeutics with products such as HGH, Nesiritide, PDGF, IL-2, interferons and erythropoietin in its pipeline. Eptifibatide, a platelet aggregation inhibitor, synthesized by its biotherapeutics division, has already been launched into the domestic market. The typhoid vaccine project could give USV a foray into the new niche area of vaccines.