NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, April 7, 2016

New York-headquartered pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is likely to leverage its latest European approval for multi-dose vials of pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13 in the Indian market.

The infant and children vaccine, which works against 13 strains of streptococcus pneumonia bacteria, is Pfizer’s top-selling brand locally (ahead of Corex cough syrup), with sales of Rs 251 crore during 2015.

Prevnar 13 competes with GSK’s brand Synflorix, which is also available in the private market. Each multi-dose vial can be used for four doses as against the one time use of the pre-filled syringes of Prevnar 13 that are currently marketed.

Data shows over 100000 children below the age of 5 years die annually from pneumococcal pneumonia in India. In the new form, a box that once carried vaccines for 50 infants and children can now potentially vaccinate 200, and expected to lead to significant cost savings in health budgets of scores of countries that have the product in their national vaccination programmes.