The Hindu Business Line : `HIV vaccine to hit market in 5 years'

THE HIV vaccine is among the three challenging vaccine programmes that Indian scientists are working on. These are expected to be ready for the market in three to five years, according to Dr N.K. Ganguly, Director-General, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). The other two vaccines are against rheumatic heart disease and cervical cancer.

Dr Ganguly said the three vaccines will bring down the cost of preventive healthcare in the country. The HIV vaccine is expected to go into Phase I trials towards the end of 2003 and Indian companies are being selected for the exercise. A Parliamentary Committee and an NGO network have been set up. "If we succeed, it will be a major achievement and the vaccine will reach people in five years," said Dr Ganguly, who chaired at the plenary on medical sciences of the Indian Science Congress.

ICMR, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National AIDS Control Organisation, the international AIDS vaccine agency are involved in the programme.

The rheumatic heart disease (RHD) vaccine will be the first preventive measure against the disease which 5-11 persons per 1000 in India and will reduce healthcare costs. RHD involves costly cures such as valve replacement or surgery and reduces life spans. The West has somewhat conquered this syndrome with better antibiotics and lifestyle programmes.

Dr Ganguly said 13 select centres are developing field sites to take the RHD vaccine programme forward.

For the vaccine against cervical cancer or human papilloma virus (HPV), ICMR has developed a map based on national incidence, and has involved the National Cancer Institute, Merck, GSK and Medigene in the programme. A centre each in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi have been identified for the studies.

According to Dr M.K. Bhan of AIIMS, Delhi, India should be looking at developing DNA or recombinant vaccines. These, he said, are relevant to developing countries as they can pack in multiple vaccines, are highly stable and need no cold chains; they are also easy to deliver to children and the aged.

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`HIV vaccine to hit market in 5 years'