Cervavac, developed by Serum Institute of India(SII) is likely to be the first indigenous qHPV vaccine to be approved in India. GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, notes that this will not only make the drug more affordable to Indians, but will significantly help addressing the growing number of cervical cancer cases in the country.
Cervavac is a Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine that helps against cancers caused by HPVs such as cervical cancer. According to GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center, the numbers of diagnosed prevalent cases of cervical cancer in India areestimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.11 percent, reaching 540,435 in 2030 from 424,341 in 2021.
Neha Myneni, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, commented saying, “We are finally in sight of having an India-developed HPV vaccine! This will be a huge relief to the poorer members of our community who cannot afford the high price mark that comes with those offered by foreign manufacturers (approximately INR6,000–7,000 for a complete regimen). There are currently only two prophylactic HPV vaccines approved in India, and they are both manufactured abroad: Merck’s Gardasil (qHPV vaccine) and GSK’s Cervarix (bivalent HPV vaccine). Cervavac will be a welcome option.”
GlobalData also notes that the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommended including HPV vaccination under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) to the Union health ministry. Although HPV vaccines were approved for inclusion in India’s UIP in 2017 they were not adopted nationallydue to pricing concerns.
“Lack of inclusion in UIP means the benefits of these vaccines are not reaching the people in utmost need. This issue will likely be addressed once a domestic player like SII enters the HPV vaccination space. Cervavac is expected to be launched in November 2022”, she added.
One challenge for SII is lack of awareness among Indian women. Although cervical cancer is the second most frequent among Indian women aged between 15 and 44 years, awareness of this disease is minimal.
GlobalData’s ‘Digital Marketing Intelligence’ identified digital support around HPV vaccination for Indian patients from GSK through a general vaccination support website for children. Key features of this website include a vaccination schedule and v tracker, information on various vaccine-preventable diseases, articles on tips and precautions for vaccination, and awareness initiatives by GSK.
Myneni suggested that, “Strategic initiatives from SII in the form of campaigns and support tools would help improve the general awareness of the disease among the target audience and strengthen the company’s market position. Moreover, the Union health ministry’s plans to launch a massive sensitization program to educate parents and school authorities about the significance of HPV vaccination are expected to boost SII’s vaccine uptake.”
