Zydus Cadila to launch VaxiFlu-4 in India after receiving CDSCO approval

Zydus Cadila is all set to introduce VaxiFlu-4, a tetravalent inactivated influenza vaccine for seasonal flu, after the company received approvals from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and the Central Drug Laboratory (CDL) to market this vaccine.

With this, Zydus Cadila will become the first Indian pharma company and second in the world to launch a tetravalent inactivated influenza vaccine. The vaccine provides protection from the four influenza viruses – H1N1, H3N2, Type B (Brisbane) and Type B (Phuket).

VaxiFlu-4 will be marketed by Zydus Vaxxicare, a division of the group focussing on preventives. The tetravalent inactivated influenza vaccine has been developed at the Vaccine Technology Centre (VTC) in Ahmedabad which has proven capabilities in researching, developing, and manufacturing of safe and efficacious vaccines. The group was also the first to indigenously develop, manufacture and launch India’s first vaccine against H1N1 – Vaxiflu-S.

Influenza, or the ‘flu’ as it is commonly called, is an infection of the respiratory tract. It is a dreaded disease and the morbidity and mortality rates associated with influenza are especially high during pandemics. Annually it is estimated that it attacks 5-10 percent of adults and 20-30 percent of children globally and causes significant levels of illness, hospitalisation and death. In India, the 2009 swine flu pandemic infected more than 10 million people and resulted in more than 18000 deaths worldwide. The last major outbreak in India occurred in 2015 with more than 33000 registered cases of influenza and over 2000 deaths.