Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam recently toured the vaccine manufacturing facility of Sapigen Biologix, a subsidiary of Bharat Biotech, located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This newly established plant has the capacity to produce eight billion vaccine doses each year.
The facility’s first product will be Hillchol (BBV131), recognized as the world’s second oral cholera vaccine. It is also set to manufacture the RTS,S vaccine, which is the first licensed malaria vaccine globally. Developed through a collaboration with GSK, this vaccine is part of a technology transfer initiative aimed at primarily benefitting low- and middle-income countries across Africa and Asia, with the goal of alleviating the impact of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
With an investment of ₹1,500 crore, this plant is designed to produce up to ten different vaccines. Upon his arrival, President Shanmugaratnam received a warm welcome from Krishna Ella, the founder of both Sapigen and Bharat Biotech, along with Suchitra Ella, the Managing Director of Bharat Biotech.
After touring the manufacturing facilities, the President participated in a high-level discussion with the company’s leadership. Accompanying him was a distinguished delegation, including top ministers and prominent business figures. “There are no vaccine or biotech manufacturing plants between Hyderabad and Arunachal Pradesh. This is the first such facility in the eastern region of the country,” Krishna Ella mentioned in a statement.
Raches Ella, Managing Director of Sapigen Biologix, remarked, “This facility will position Odisha and India on the global stage as a leading hub for vaccine production and supply, focusing on key vaccines that tackle pressing global health issues.”
