Serum Institute to manufacture India’s 1st vaccine against cervical cancer after DGCI nod

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Tuesday approved India’s first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer.

The qHPV vaccine will be manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII). Taking to Twitter, SII’s chief executive office Adar Poonawalla thanked the DCGI for approval.

“For the first time there will be an Indian HPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer in women that is both affordable and accessible. We look forward to launching it later this year and we thank the #DCGI @MoHFW_INDIA for granting approval today,” Poonawalla tweeted.

Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women in India between the ages of 15 and 44.

Apart from the DCGI, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) also approved the qHPV vaccine after reviewing the clinical trial data on the vaccine, according to an ANI report.

On June 15, the DCGI’s Subject Expert Committee recommended the qHPV vaccine for cervical cancer patients above nine years to 26 years of age.

The SII had applied to the DCGI seeking market authorisation of the qHPV after the phase 2/3 clinical trial was completed with the support of the department of biotechnology.

The vaccine is likely to be launched in the market before year-end.