Vaccine maker Indian Immunologicals has increased its footprint in New Zealand with opening of a sterile filtered serum manufacturing facility of its subsidiary Pristine Biologicals NZ.
Setting up of the new facility, in Dargaville, comes in the backdrop of a growing demand for bovine serum from New Zealand for use in biologics manufacture. It has become important to augment capacities and bring in more value-added products, IIL said in a release on Monday.
Many vaccine manufacturers in India had expressed concerned at difficulty in obtaining quality serum and approached IIL for assistance. A senior official to the Centre’s Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries had urged IIL to ramp up serum production capacity at Pristine and make available the product to Indian firms on a priority basis.
IIL, which is a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), said Pristine was established in Dargaville in 2015 for production and supply of pharmaceutical grade bovine serum used to produce many vaccines. Serum from New Zealand and Australia command a premium since those countries are free from OIE-listed diseases.
“The affordable vaccines made in India require a sustainable supply of quality ingredients made by Pristine,” IIL and NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah said, inaugurating the facility. IIL Managing Director K. Anand Kumar said there are plans to double the capacity.
