Adar Poonawalla: Serum plans to launch vaccines against cervical cancer, malaria this year

World Economic Forum | Davos 2023 | Moneycontrol @ Davos Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India speaks to Moneycontrol at the World Economic Forum, talks about whether people should take booster doses. 'With hardly any cases in India right now, boosters are a personal choice. Covovax has been licensed, it's good against Omicron. Some people take flu shots, this will become like that', he says. Watch!

Year 2023 is going to be a landmark one for the country’s biggest vaccine maker, Serum Institute of India (SII), as the company plans to launch two vaccines -- one against cervical cancer and another against malaria. The former will be launched in India and the latter in Africa.

Adar Poonawalla, SII’s Chief Executive Officer, said the company is planning to launch Cervavac, a vaccine against cervical cancer very soon.

“The malaria vaccine is for the African continent. We have been working with Oxford University for a couple of years now and have been submitting data to the WHO (World Health Organization) for its approval. The anti-malaria vaccine will be available by the end of this year,” Poonawalla told Moneycontrol on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual summit in Davos.

“It's all about making affordable vaccines at scale. That has been at the heart of our mission -- to make all our vaccines as accessible and affordable across the globe,” he added.

Scene in China

Responding to a question about the spike in COVID infections in Beijing, Poonawalla said China shouldn't end up infecting some other countries.

Poonawalla said SII offered vaccines to China as boosters but there was very little response from the authorities.

Also read: Covid boosters a personal choice, Covovax good against Omicron: Adar Poonawalla

When asked about the lack of verified information about the spread of Coronavirus infection from China, Poonawalla said the country will see cases subside in the next few months.

“I won't comment on its vaccines and vaccination programmes, but it will take a few months, and I wish them best of luck,” he added.

Approval for new booster in India

Commenting on the slow uptake of precautionary doses in India, the Serum CEO said taking booster shots is a personal choice.

“Covovax, our new booster, which has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), is very good against Omicron, and it's available as a booster. So, it's people's choice now if they really want to get it,” he added.

Also read: News of rising Covid cases in China is concerning, says Adar Poonawalla

The DCGI on Monday approved Covovax as a heterologous booster dose.

Covovax can be taken as a booster dose, even if one has taken Covidshield or Covaxin as the previous dose.

Poonawalla said that vulnerable citizens and those travelling or interacting with large groups of people should consider taking booster doses.

He said the COVID booster dose will become an annual shot, just like the influenza vaccine.

Noting that the pandemic was at a very manageable level in India, Poonawalla said vaccines administered in India have given the population a lot of protection.