The story behind the rise of Serum Institute of India

SII produces more than 1.5 billion doses of vaccines every year, for everything from polio to measles

The world's largest vaccine manufacturer based in India, Serum Institute of India (SII), is on a mission. It has already stockpiled about 5 crore doses, enough for 2.5 crore people, as it awaits the final nod to its vaccine candidate in the country.

The SII, founded by Cyrus Poonawalla, father of Adar Poonawalla, in 1966, today is the largest vaccine manufacturer by the number of doses produced and sold globally, reaching 170 countries, through World Health Organization programmes.

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SII began its journey with the aim of manufacturing life-saving immuno-biologicals, which were in shortage in the country and imported at high prices. It manufactures the Polio vaccine as well as Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Measles vaccines among various others.

It began manufacturing several life-saving biologicals at affordable prices which in turn helped India to be self-sufficient for Tetanus Anti-toxin and Anti-snake Venom serum, followed by DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) group of Vaccines and then later on MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) group of vaccines.

Read: India approves AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, country's first

SII made its first International acquisition by acquiring Bilthoven Biologicals in 2012. The takeover ensured access to technology and expertise for making the IPV (Injectable Polio Vaccine, Salk), which was earlier possessed by only 3 other vaccine manufacturers.

Adar Poonawalla enters

Adar Poonawalla joined the SII in 2001 and became the CEO of Serum Institute with complete control of the day-to-day operations of the company in 2011. Poonawalla has said that he expects to sell hundreds of millions of doses in India. Even as immediate local demand is met, nearly half of its production would go overseas, the company has said.

With over 10 million infections, the world's second-highest after the United States, India's government is likely to order a huge chunk of the vaccines for its 1.3 billion people.

Also Read: India successfully cultures new strain of novel coronavirus from UK: ICMR

SII plans to make a total of 400 million doses of Covishield by July and is setting up new production lines to roll out roughly one billion shots a year.

An expert panel of the Central Drug Authority on January 1, 2021, recommended granting permission for the restricted emergency use of SII's Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield. The panel recommendations have been forwarded to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval.

(With agency inputs)