Vaccine maker Indian Immunologicals (IIL) has launched measles and rubella vaccine Mabella for children.
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A live-attenuated MR vaccine developed in an exclusive partnership with Polyvac Institute of Vietnam, Mabella was launched as part of the 25th celebrations of the IIL division Human Biologicals Institute (HBI) in Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Tamil Nadu.
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The vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective through extensive human clinical trials. The launch addresses the urgent need for control of deadly measles and rubella that claim about one lakh lives of children globally, IIL said on November 25.
In a release on the work of the division that was established in 1998, the vaccine maker said HBI, in the same year, had indigenously developed the country’s “first safe vero-cell rabies vaccine Abhayrab [thus] paving way for the government of India to phase out the painful nerve tissue vaccine. Abhayrab today is the largest selling anti-rabies vaccine in the world.” Subsequently, HBI introduced a number of vaccines for children such as DPT, Pentavalent Vaccine, TT, Hepatitis-B MR and Td.
Speaking on the occasion, IIL managing director K.Anand Kumar said the company had emerged as one of the largest suppliers of human vaccines to the universal immunisation programme of the Centre. Deputy MD Priyabrata Pattnaik said IIL has adequate infrastructure to meet the national requirements.
