Hilleman Lab on partner search to develop low cost vaccines

Hilleman Laboratories today said it is looking to tie up with vaccine specialty companies and government agencies to fund a Rs 300 project for developing some low cost vaccines in India. Hilleman is a 50:50 joint venture fund between MSD Pharmaceuticals and UK-based Wellcome Trust. "We are spending around Rs 300 crore over the next 4-5 years to develop low cost vaccines. We are developing vaccines to treat rotavirus, cholera and meningitis," Hilleman Laboratories CEO Davinder Gill told PTI here. "For research We are looking for partner's namely pharma companies, vaccine specialty companies and government agencies to collaborate and fund the project. We had received foundational grants from MSD Pharmaceuticals and Wellcome Trust, but now we want to be financially independent," Gill said.

MSD Pharmaceuticals and Wellcome Trust have invested around Rs 700 crore nearly five years ago, which is now valued at around Rs 900 crore. MSD Pharmaceuticals Private Limited (also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD in many parts of the world), is an affiliate of Merck & Co Inc. "As per the development plan, the company will use its in-house formulation technology, while MSD would provide components of its existing rotavirus vaccine," Gill said.

"Normally there is a large capital investment required for creating vaccines. We, however, has taken an approach that will allowthe vaccine to be created at a lesser cost thus providing a boost to vaccine manufacturers on creating low cost next-generation vaccines using synthetic platform technology," he added. The company is developing synthetic vaccine to fight growing meningitis for Asian, African and Latin American countries.

"We are developing a vaccine for rotavirus, which would be heat resistant and easy to carry. We have already started clinical trials and it will be ready in 3-4 years period," Gill said, adding that it is the first worldwide group to have successfully made a synthetic MenX tetramer-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine.