Bharat Biotech Unveils New Cholera Vaccine

Bharat Biotech International Ltd. introduced their new product 'Hillchol', a novel single-strain oral cholera vaccine, on Tuesday.

Bharat Biotech developed Hillchol (BBV131) to combat cholera under license from Hilleman Laboratories, which receive funding from Merck USA and Wellcome Trust.

Global demand for oral cholera vaccines, or OCVs, exceeds 100 million doses annually, making them crucial for cholera control. There is a global shortage of OCVs as there is only one manufacturer.

BBIL has established large-scale manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar with a capacity to produce up to 200 million doses of Hillchol, it further said.

A multi-stage, clinical evolution process culminating in a phase 3 study confirmed the vaccine's safety, immunogenicity, and non-inferiority to existing OCVs, establishing its potential for white spirit, public health use.

The vaccine, a single dose respule, is meant to be administered orally on days 0 and 14 and is suitable for those above the age of one.

(With Inputs From PTI)