Indian Immunologicals Limited

Indian Immunologicals Limited or IIL is a vaccine manufacturing facility and biotechnology laboratory in Hyderabad, Ooty and Rajkot. IIL is one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world.^[1] It was established in 1983 by the National Dairy Development Board. ^[2][3]

It is noted for developing veterinary and human vaccines for foot-and-mouth disease, rabies, bacterial vaccines, canine vaccines, hepatitis, measles, MMR and DPT. It offers FMD vaccines to farmers at affordable prices.^[4][5]

IIL is a major player in the human vaccine market in India, holding the fourth position and focusing on the pediatric and the rabies segment with its flagship product — Abhayrab. IIL’s unique marketing concepts such as Abhay Clinics (one stop vaccination centres) and Abhay Shoppe (vaccine on call service) have helped create a strong retail presence. IIL is also a major supplier of DPT, TT and Hepatitis B vaccines to India’s large Universal Immunization Programme.

Animal Health

IIL manufactures and markets a wide range of animal health vaccines and formulations. After the successful introduction of FMD vaccine — “Raksha”, IIL launched the tissue culture rabies vaccine “Raksharab” in 1989. This was the first Indian tissue culture vaccine in the animal health market. Subsequently, IIL developed many vaccines through its own R & D efforts and launched them in the Indian market at affordable prices.

IIL manufactures and markets its veterinary biologicals for bovine, ovine and canine segments. IIL also markets a wide range of veterinary formulations through a dedicated sales channel. IIL has also introduced veterinary nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical formulations developed after extensive research on requirements of livestock.

Human Health

IIL operates a manufacturing facility in Ooty to manufacture the Vero cell culture rabies vaccine for use in human beings. This plant was set up in 1998 at the specific request of the Government of India in order to phase out use of the older and unsafe sheep brain vaccine (also termed nerve tissue vaccine – NTV) with the modern tissue culture vaccine.

IIL is the second company in the world to launch the purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV) and it markets the product under the brand name "Abhayrab" through its network of "Abhay Clinics" at an affordable price. Today, IIL is a major supplier of the rabies vaccine to various state governments

The success of Abhayrab and Abhay Clinics emboldened IIL to embark on building a new vaccine facility in Hyderabad to manufacture various other pediatric vaccines such as Hepatitis B, Measles, Tetanus Toxoid and Triple Antigen (Diphtheria, Pertusis, and Tetanus). This plant, which has commenced commercial production in phases from September 2006 and meets a large part of the requirements of the Universal Immunization Programme of the Ministry of Health, Govt of India, , will also produce other new vaccines – Japanese Encephalitis, Chikungunya, Pentavalent and other combination vaccine against diseases relevant to India.

Human Biological Institute

IIL has a manufacturing facility at Ooty, Tamilnadu which produces Rabies vaccine using Vero cell line as a substrate for human use. The Human Biologicals Institute at Ooty is located at Kozhipannai village approximately five Km from Ooty town. This facility contains Production labs, Quality control lab, Warehouse, Animal testing facility and Utilities block. The design and construction of the plant meets Schedule M and cGMP guidelines.

The production area is classified into unrestricted and restricted area. Unrestricted Area contains Cell culture laboratory, Media production lab, Purification lab and Formulation & filling, Packing and Manufacturing services. No live virus is handled in the unrestricted area. This area is designed as per the GMP with the provision of change rooms and equipped with HVAC for the maintenance of the class and differential air pressure etc. The restricted area contains Virus seed production lab, Antigen production, Concentration and inactivation, in- process quality control and Manufacturing Services. The entire restricted area is maintained under negative pressure and differential air pressure maintained through HVAC system.

International Business

IIL exports its products to more than 45 countries across the world with a customer focus in Middle East, Asia Pacific Region, Africa, Latin America, Russia and CIS countries. The products of IIL are well accepted in the International market by virtue of its quality and affordability. IIL is also working towards expanding the business arch towards South American market, USA and Europe.

Research & Development and Product Pipeline

The R&D efforts of Indian Immunologicals Ltd. are focused on the development of affordable products for the control of infectious diseases. Novel vaccines against animal diseases continue to be a major focus area for the R&D. In animal health, IIL is working on a VLP (Virus-like-particles) vaccine for FMD as also inactivated vaccine against IBR, a recombinant tick vaccine. Apart from that, the company is also emphasising on the development of diagnostic methods against Tuberculosis, Para tuberculosis and Brucellosis continue to be major work areas for research & development.

On the human vaccines side, the R&D group has developed technology for Pentavalent vaccine (DPT + Hepatitis B + Hib), Chikungunya vaccine and Japanese Encephalitis which are under clinical trials. The availability of these vaccines in combination forms is expected to reduce the disease burden in children and adults. Apart from this, work is on to develop the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine and Pneumococal vaccine.

Recent Developments

The company has also acquired 50 acres of land in Biotech Park – Phase III near Karkapatla to locate its new manufacturing facilities for animal vaccines (Brucella RB 51 and other bacterial vaccines), animal health formulations and human rabies and Pentavalent vaccines. These facilities to be built at a cost of Rs 1600 mio have begun commercial production of animal health formulations and became fully operational for other products from mid of 2014.

See also

• Genome Valley

References