Hepatitis A vaccine for Rs 1,100

A vaccine developed by the Chinese will hit the Indian market on Monday. The 'live attenuated lyophilised' vaccine, cleared by the Drug Controller of India recently, would be marketed by pharmaceutical major Wockhardt Ltd, its vice president (marketing) S Nagaraj said.

According to reports, over 20,000 people die of 'Hepatitis A' every year in the country.

The vaccine of this viral infection affecting the liver, invented by Mao of Zhejinag Pukang Bio Technology Institute, China in 1987, had been so far taken by over 120 million people in that country, said Gangcheng Zhuang, co-inventor of the vaccine.

Even one dose of the vaccine offers long-term protection, unlike other vaccines, which need a booster dose, he said.

While other vaccines cost Rs 1,350 per dose, the new vaccine would cost only Rs 1,100, Nagaraj said.

Since there is no need for a booster dose, the cost would come down by 50 per cent, he said, adding that the immunogenicity and tolerability of the vaccine was confirmed in a clinical trial at a hospital in Pune.