Zydus and Pharm Aid enter deal for varicella vaccine technology in Russia

Indian healthcare company Zydus Cadila has entered an exclusive agreement with Pharm Aid for the technology expertise of varicella vaccine production in Russia to prevent chickenpox.

Headquartered in Russia, Pharm Aid has been established by Nacimbio and Ishvan Pharmaceuticals for the localisation of new vaccine production in the country.

Zydus Cadila managing director Dr Sharvil Patel said: "As an innovation-driven global healthcare player our aim has always been to bridge unmet healthcare needs by improving accessibility to preventives and novel therapies.

"By being a technology enabler, I believe we are taking yet another important step in realising this mission."

Pharm Aid director general Kirill Ganin added: "With the co-operation that will bring together partners’ experience, our local manufacturing, distribution and managerial capabilities, we will be able to reduce prime cost of the purchased vaccines and offer the market entirely new better medical products."

Under the agreement, Zydus Cadila will gain access to the public and private market segments in the Russian Federation, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. 

The new deal focuses on ensuring a continuous supply of varicella vaccines that can be included in the critical childhood immunisation programme.

The National Immunisation Programme does not feature this vaccine due to a lack of assured supply of indigenously manufactured varicella vaccine.

The demand for the vaccine is currently estimated at three million doses each year in the Russian Federation alone.