Ahmedabad-based Zydus Lifesciences is set to launch the vaccine VaxiFlu-4 to combat a new strain of the influenza virus, as per the WHO-recommended composition of quadrivalent influenza virus vaccines for use in the Southern Hemisphere in 2025.
The pharmaceutical company’s quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine, VaxiFlu-4, has been developed at the Vaccine Technology Centre (VTC) in Ahmedabad and is being marketed by Zydus Vaxxicare – a division of the group focussing on preventives.
“A quadrivalent vaccine, by covering strains of both influenza A and influenza B, provides a broader protection and significantly reduces the risk of vaccine mismatch. The vaccine has been cleared by the Central Drug Laboratory (CDL),” the company said in its stock exchange filing.
Speaking on the development, Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences, said, “Preventives are the key to public health in both the developing and the developed world and vaccines have the potential to improve the quality of life. In India, there is a pressing need for access to affordable, high-quality vaccines that can address healthcare challenges. With vaccines like VaxiFlu-4 we are serving the cause of public health through annual immunisation and preventing flu outbreaks.”
Shares of Zydus Lifesciences closed 1.07 per cent lower on the NSE on Tuesday at ₹881.70.