Top 20: Consolidates its position

11 August 2014 | Features | By BioSpectrum Bureau

Top 20: Consolidates its position

Mr Sambhaji Zende, MD, Haffkine Biopharmaceutical

Mr Sambhaji Zende, MD, Haffkine Biopharmaceutical

top-20-logoHaffkine Bio-Parmaceutical Corporation Ltd (HBPCL), a Government of Maharashtra undertaking, has reported estimated revenue of Rs 355 crore as compared to Rs 253.41 crore in the previous financial year. The growth of 40 percent in a single year is a major achievement for the company. It is clearly the company's quality vaccine supply that has raised its stature among manufacturers.

HBPCL is the second largest vaccines supplier to UNICEF, after Serum Institute of India, with its supplies to the agency totalling to $55 million. In 2010, the company received UN accreditation for the first time for its bivalent type 1 and 3 Oral Poliomyelitis Vaccine (OPV). HBPCL also produces trivalent type 1, 2 and 3 OPVs besides the type 1 monovalent OPV. The company has been able to successfully revamp its OPV production units and upgrade them as per the requirements of international standards. It has its facilities at three locations in Mumbai.
The Antitoxin and Sera (ATS) department of HBPCL is located at Pimpri near Pune, and it is engaged in the manufacture of Antiserum against Tetanus, Diphtheria, Gas gangrene, Snake and Scorpion Venoms.

The ATS department was established in 1940 at Mumbai for the production of Anti Snake Venom Serum (ASVS) and was subsequently shifted to Pimpri from 1952-53 onwards in a phased manner. A Lyophilisation project confirming to WHO-GMP standards has been commissioned in the year 2002 and is being used for freeze drying of the antisera. In 1997, HBPCL was successful in introducing Scorpion Venom Antiserum for the first time in India, which was specifically developed to fulfil a longstanding demand from the Konkan region. Currently, HBPCL is the only manufacturer of the same in the country.

HBPCL is a pioneer in the production of ASVS in India and has been producing it since 1940. Even the lyophilized ASVS has been introduced by HBPCL in the country in 1945. Earlier it used to be the largest manufacturer of ASVS in the country, producing about 60-70 percent of the country's total production. ASVS produced by HBPCL has been exported to neighbouring countries through WHO and UNICEF. The company has produced over 4 lakh vials of ASVS during 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. However, due to various restrictions imposed by CPCSEA on the use of equines in the production of antisera, the production of ASVS has considerably reduced from 2001-2002 and has been producing about 1.5 lakh vials for the last 4-5 years.

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