Hyderabad:  Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) has announced the launch of Hillchol (BBV131), a new single-strain Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) developed under a license from Hilleman Laboratories, which is funded by Merck, USA, and Wellcome Trust, UK. The vaccine aims to combat cholera.

“The vaccine can be administered orally on Day 0 and Day 14 and is suitable for individuals older than one year and is presented as a single-dose respule and should be stored between +2°C and +8°C, in a mono-multidose format, one of the first such presentations for vaccines,” the drug developer said.

“A multi-stage clinical evaluation process, culminating in a Phase III study, confirmed the vaccine's safety, immunogenicity and non-inferiority to existing OCVs, establishing its potential for widespread public health use,” it added.

With only one manufacturer currently supplying oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) globally, there is a significant shortage, with an annual deficit of approximately 40 million doses, the company said.

To address this global shortfall, Bharat Biotech has developed the vaccine through an international collaboration with Hilleman Laboratories, the University of Gothenburg, and Gotovax AB, the company added.

Additionally, Bharat Biotech has set up large-scale manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar, with the capacity to produce up to 200 million doses of Hillchol, the company announced.