‘Havisure’: India’s First Indigenously Developed Hepatitis A Vaccine

• 23 Jan 2024

Recently, ‘Havisure’, India’s first home-made Hepatitis A vaccine was launched. It has been developed by Hyderabad-based Indian Immunological Ltd (IIL), a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Key Points

• Crucial Public Health Role: Havisure is likely to be a key contributor towards the prevention of hepatitis A which constitutes an extremely contagious liver disease and poses one big health problem for all individuals.
• The main route of viral transmission is the fecal-oral one, making vaccination crucial for controlling infection spread.
• Atma Nirbhar Bharat Initiative: Consistent with the ethos of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, IIL’s unyielding efforts have resulted in India having its first Hepatitis A vaccine.
• This accomplishment symbolizes a paradigm change from importing such vaccines to manufacturing them indigenously.
• Clinical Trials Success: Clinical trials of ‘Havisure’ in eight centres showed that it is a safe and effective drug. The vaccine shows an equal competitiveness with global market leaders.
• Routine Immunization Focus: Arguably a vaccine that is recommended for routine immunization, the two-dose schedule given to children has its first dose over 12 months of age and second doses at least six months after the initial one.
• Broad Recommendation Scope: Other than standard immunization, 'Havisure’ is indicated for susceptible individuals or people traveling to areas with high Hepatitis A frequency.
• It is also appropriate for people with occupational infection risks and those having chronic liver diseases.