News bulletin
Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), based in Hyderabad, has officially launched HILLCHOL (BBV131), a groundbreaking single-strain Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV). This vaccine was developed by Bharat Biotech under a license from Hilleman Laboratories, which is supported by funding from Merck, USA, and Wellcome Trust, UK, marking a significant step forward in the fight against cholera and enhancing global health initiatives.
At present, there is only one manufacturer of OCVs globally, leading to an annual shortfall of approximately 40 million doses. To address this critical shortage, Bharat Biotech has set up large-scale production facilities in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar, with the capability to produce up to 200 million doses of HILLCHOL.
Despite cholera being preventable and treatable, the number of global cases and fatalities has been on the rise since 2021. Between early 2023 and March of this year, there were 824,479 reported cases and 5,900 deaths across 31 countries.
The HILLCHOL vaccine is administered orally on Day 0 and Day 14, and it is appropriate for individuals over the age of one. It is available in a single-dose respule format and must be stored at temperatures between +2°C and +8°C. HILLCHOL is also offered in a mono-multidose format, representing one of the first such presentations for vaccines.
The introduction of the HILLCHOL vaccine is the culmination of extensive international collaboration, involving Hilleman Laboratories, Bharat Biotech, the University of Gothenburg, and Gotovax AB.
Since its establishment by Wellcome and MSD, Hilleman Laboratories has taken pride in its contribution to this collaborative effort, demonstrating a commitment to advancing global health equity through affordable, impactful, and sustainable solutions for those most vulnerable to cholera.