India's SII develops country's first cervical cancer vaccine

Adar Poonawalla, chief executive of SII, the world's biggest vaccine maker. Reuters

The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker, has developed the country's first cervical cancer shot that will be available soon, the company and the government said on Thursday.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, with an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths in 2020, according to the World Health Organisation.

About 90 per cent of the new cases and deaths worldwide occurred in low- and middle-income countries that year.

Two human papillomavirus (HPV) types, 16 and 18, are responsible for at least 70 per cent of cervical cancers, and India's Department of Biotechnology said the Indian vaccine would work on HPV types 16 and 18, as well as 6 and 11.

Merck & Co and GSK Plc are the main makers of HPV vaccines.

“The indigenously developed vaccine will make our country self-sufficient in curbing female mortality caused by cervical cancer,” SII's chief executive Adar Poonawalla said in a statement.

He told reporters the vaccine would be for sale in a few months, first for the Indian market and then internationally. It may be priced between 200 rupees and 400 rupees ($2.51 and $5.03) and the company will aim to produce about 200 million doses in two years, Reuters' partner ANI cited Mr Poonawalla as saying.

The vaccine will be administered via injection in two doses among 9 to 14 year olds and in three doses for those aged 15 to 26.