Hyderabad :

Homegrown biopharmaceutical company Biological E (BioE) and European biotech company Valneva SE (Valneva) announced that the  World Health Organization (WHO) has awarded its Japanese Encephalitis vaccine  prequalification for global use in adults.

Biological E and Valneva had established a partnership in 2005 for the development and commercialization of a Japanese encephalitis vaccine for endemic regions, based on Valneva’s JEV technology. The vaccine, which was successfully developed under this partnership, is being marketed in India under the trade-name JEEV and its commercialization in other JE-endemic countries is being planned.

BioE said that it expects its pediatric indication to be prequalified by the end of the year.

“This is the first prequalification of a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and is a key step in ensuring the vaccine can be distributed to developing countries,” the company release said.

Commenting on the development, Biological E Limited managing director Mahima Datla said, “We are happy that our JE vaccine is the first ever WHO prequalified JE vaccine. It is an extremely important achievement for the vaccines community as our vaccine’s prequalification is well in time to support GAVI’s plans of introducing the JE vaccine in several developing countries.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Swati Rathor, TNN / July 23rd, 2013