Panacea Biotec gets UNICEF, PAHO awards for supply of liquid Pentavalent vaccine Easyfive-n

New Delhi: Panacea Biotec has received long-term supply awards worth around Rs 1,040 Crore from UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for the supply of its WHO pre-qualified fully liquid Pentavalent vaccine, Easyfive-n (DTwP-HepB-Hib).

UNICEF award is worth Rs 813 Crore for the supply of ~99.70 million doses during calendar years 2023-2027, and the PAHO award is worth Rs 235 Crore for supply of ~24.83 million doses during calendar years 2023-2025.

Paediatric vaccination plays an important role to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, in particular, the target to reduce the under-five mortality rate to less than 25 per 1000 live births. Pentavalent vaccine protects children against five deadly diseases: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, and invasive infections caused by Haemophilus Influenza Type b - becoming the foundation of paediatric immunization programs across the world.

Easyfive-n is the world's first fully liquid wP-based Pentavalent vaccine that was launched in India in 2005. After receiving WHO prequalification in 2008, more than 150 million doses have been supplied to over 75 countries globally.

EasyFive-n is a ready-to-use combination vaccine that does not require preparation by healthcare workers at the clinic, reduces the number of visits to vaccination centres, and reduces the overall cost of immunisation for all stakeholders. As per Human Vaccines and lmmunotherapeutics', the fully-liquid Pentavalent vaccine has been hailed as a "breakthrough in India's Universal Immunisation Program" with having averted more than 7 million cases, averted ~31,000 deaths, and total benefits exceeding US $ 1 billion in DALY savings in India.

Dr. Rajesh Jain, Managing Director, Panacea Biotec said, "We are delighted to receive the notification of UNICEF and PAHO awards for the Pentavalent vaccine at this important juncture in Panacea Biotec's journey. As we celebrate India's 75 years of independence 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', this showcases the growing role India plays to support global health. We are excited to continue to save lives by supporting U.N. Agencies and partners for global immunization programs and to bring to market additional vaccines in coming years to meet the programmatic needs of UNICEF and PAHO."

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