Cervical Cancer Vaccine To Be Available In Few Months, To Be Priced Between Rs 200-400: Adar Poonawalla

Serum Institute of India's (SII's) Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer was launched in Delhi on Thursday, September 1.

CERVAVAC: Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the SII, said the qHPV vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer will be available in a few months, and may be priced between Rs 200 to Rs 400. (Representative Photo)

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Serum Institute of India's (SII's) Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer was launched in Delhi on Thursday, September 1. The qHPV vaccine, called CERVAVAC, is India's first indigenously developed vaccine against cervical cancer. 

Following the launch, Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the SII, said the vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer will be available in a few months, and may be priced between Rs 200 to Rs 400. However, he said the prices are yet to be finalised, news agency ANI reported. 

Delhi | The vaccine for cervical cancer will be available in a few months. Will give it to our country first & later to the world. May be priced between Rs 200-400 but prices yet to be finalized. Preparing to make 200 million doses in 2 years: Serum Institute CEO, Adar Poonawalla pic.twitter.com/g4JXfwWNV9

— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2022

Poonawalla also said that CERVAVAC will be administered to people in India first, and later to the world. He stated that SII is preparing to make 200 million doses of the qHPV vaccine in two years.

In July, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted market authorisation to SII to manufacture an indigenously developed vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer. 

In India, the second most frequent cancer among women aged 15 to 44 years is cervical cancer. Most cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus, and are sexually transmitted.

The vaccine was launched by Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh at India International Centre, Delhi. Adar Poonawalla was also present at the event.

About CERVAVAC

CERVAVAC has demonstrated a robust antibody response against all targeted HPV types, and in all dose and age groups. The response is nearly 1,000 times higher than the baseline. 

On June 15, 2022, the DCGI’s Subject Expert Committee (SEC) recommended the qHPV vaccine developed by the SII for cervical cancer patients belonging to the age group of nine to 26 years. Both male and female patients with cervical cancer belonging to this age group can receive the vaccine.

Following the successful completion of the Phase II and Phase III clinical trials for the vaccine, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, applied to the DCGI, seeking market approval for the qHPV vaccine.