- The company said it took nearly 12 years to develop this three-dose vaccine, and the vaccine was found safe in the clinical trials.
- The company has fixed the price of one vial at Rs 750 while the cost of treatment, comprising three doses, would come to Rs 2,145
- In the first phase, the vaccine will be launched in 11 states, including Gujarat.
NE HEALTH BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, APRIL 8
Pharmaceutical major Cadila Pharmaceuticals on Friday announced that it has developed the world’s first novel three-dose vaccine against rabies.
The three-dose vaccine, named as ‘ThRabis’, is a recombinant nano-particle based G protein vaccine which is prepared using Virus-like Particle technology, the company said in a release, adding that the three-dose schedule is spread over only one week.
The new vaccine would prove to be a game-changer because all the existing rabies vaccines require five injections, spread over 28 days for eliminating the threat (of virus spread), Cadila Pharmaceuticals CMD Rajiv Modi said at the launch ceremony of the new vaccine.
Aiming at a Rabies-Free India the novel vaccine was launched by Cadila this month with the campaign ‘One, Two, Three. Rabies Free.’
“All existing rabies vaccine regimens require five injections spread over 28 days to complete the full regimen. Many animal bite victims are unable to complete the full course of the vaccine due to their complicated dosing schedule, frequent visits to the hospital or clinic and potential loss of income associated with these visits. This leaves many victims unprotected and susceptible to developing rabies, which is a fatal condition,” Modi added.
The ‘Cadila Against Rabies’ event held in Ahmedabad was attended by key experts from the Association for the Prevention and Control of Rabies in India (APCRI) Founder President and Mentor Dr. MK Sudarshan; President Dr. DH Ashwath Narayana; Secretary General Dr Sumit Poddar, and Treasurer Dr. HS Ravish and other leading experts. They spoke about the need to eradicate rabies and appreciated Cadila Pharmaceuticals’ efforts. The panel discussion was followed by the launch of ThRabis – World’s 1st novel three-dose rabies vaccine.
It is estimated that globally, rabies kills 59,000 animal bite victims every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. Over 20,000 people die in India alone, mainly because many animal bite victims do not complete the full course of the available vaccine.
The vaccine – ThRabis is prepared by using Virus-Like Particle technology (VLP). The VLPs self-assemble from this recombinant G protein which is produced from genes cloned into baculovirus expression vectors and expressed in Spodopterafrugiperda (Sf9) insect cells. The vaccine generates antibodies against rabies G protein, which leads to virus neutralisation, as well as prevents virus attachment to the cell to confer protection against rabies.
Cadila Pharmaceuticals successfully tested immunogenicity and safety of three doses, i.e. 50 µg (microgram) on days 0, 3 and 7 of the novel vaccine in Phase-I/II and Phase-III clinical trials in healthy volunteers as well as preclinical models. The safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine were established in the trials. Besides being convenient, ThRabis is an intramuscular vaccine and less painful for the recipients. It is also extremely convenient for doctors as it is a ready to use vaccine and does not require reconstitution prior to use (Adding water for injection and mixing it thoroughly).
“ThRabis is a major breakthrough vaccine that can help in preventing many rabies related deaths. Unlike other approved rabies vaccines, ThRabis® is a three-dose vaccine and is administered within a week. This ensures clinical effectiveness with just three doses in seven days, and will improve compliance to complete the vaccine course,” said Suresh Gupta, President, Domestic Business, Cadila Pharmaceuticals.
In the first phase, the vaccine will be launched in 11 states, including Gujarat. The company representatives would contact nearly 6,000 doctors as part of their awareness campaign in these states.
The company has fixed the price of one vial at Rs 750 while the cost of treatment, comprising three doses, would come to Rs 2,145, it added.
