Sanofi launches Shan5 paediatric pentavalent vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur announced the launch of its paediatric pentavalent vaccine Shan5™ in India, developed and manufactured by its affiliate Shantha.

Shantha, a fully integrated biotechnology company involved in R and D, manufacturing and marketing, was acquired by Sanofi Pasteur Holding in 2009.

Shan5 is a fully liquid five-in-one convenient, safe and high quality vaccine that provides effective protection to children from six weeks of age against five diseases – diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib and hepatitis B.

The launch of Shan5™ vaccine received prequalification status from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in April 2014, a press release said.

Further, the prequalification helps Shan5™ secure the supply of pentavalent combination vaccines in over 50 emerging and low-income countries, it said.

A significant number of babies born every year in India do not have access to modern vaccination programmes. The launch of Shan5 in India means that 27 million babies born annually in India will have access to vaccination, to protect them from five potentially deadly diseases.

By launching Shan5™ , Shantha will be contributing to filling the immunisation gap for the benefit of babies and their parents.

As the first doses are being made available, the company has different plans to respond to needs such as public vaccination programmes and vaccination in private practice.

As the first doses are being made available, the Company has different plans to respond to different needs: public vaccination programs and vaccination in the private practice.

About Shan5™

Shan5™ is a fully-liquid five-in-one, convenient, safe and high-quality vaccine that provides effective protection for children from 6 weeks of age against five diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib and hepatitis B. Shan5™ vaccine has been developed and is produced by Shantha in Hyderabad, India.

About Shantha
Shantha, which was acquired by Sanofi Pasteur Holding in 2009, is a biotechnology pioneer from the emerging countries, founded by Dr. K I Varaprasad Reddy in 1993 in Hyderabad, India. Shanthais a fully integrated biotechnology company involved in R&D, manufacturing and marketing.
Shantha’s mission is to develop, produce and market human healthcare products that are affordable and meet the highest International standards. Shantha’s products complement Sanofi Pasteur’s portfolio. Four of its licensed vaccines are WHO-prequalified: Shan5™ pediatric vaccine, Shanchol™ cholera vaccine, Shanvac-B® hepatitis B vaccine, and ShanTT™ tetanus vaccine.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, an integrated global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers a broad range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company’s heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information,
please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.shanthabiotech.com

Ref: 1. Economic Times (ET), Published on 10 Nov, 2014, 02.45PM IST
2. Press Release by Shantha Biotech, November 10th, 2014