The Serum Institute of India (SII) debuted CERVAVAC, the nation's first locally made quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (qHPV) vaccine, to mark National Girl Child Day and Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
CEO Poonawalla, at the Davos World Economic Forum in 2023, indicated that the HPV vaccination took the company around six to seven years to manufacture. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted SII market permission in 2022 for the domestic production of a cervical cancer vaccine. The qHPV CERVAVAC was developed via cooperation among the Serum Institute, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Cervical cancer is the second most common illness among women in India between the ages of 15 and 44. Cervical cancer is primarily brought on by the sexually transmitted Human Papillomavirus. Cervical cancer is the second most frequent disease in India and accounts for around one-fourth of all cervical cancer mortality globally, despite being largely preventable. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccination, if given to girls or women before they are exposed to the virus, can largely prevent cases of cervical cancer.
