Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. is now the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally (more than 1.5 billion doses) which includes Polio vaccine as well as Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccines. It is estimated that about 65% of the children in the world receive at least one vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute. Vaccines manufactured by the Serum Institute are accredited by the World Health Organization, Geneva and are being used in around 170 countries across the globe in their national immunization programs, saving millions of lives throughout the world.
Serum Institute of India is ranked as India’s No. 1 biotechnology company, manufacturing highly specialized life saving biologicals like vaccines using cutting edge genetic and cell based technologies, antisera and other medical specialties.
Serum Institute of India was founded in 1966 by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla with the aim of manufacturing life-saving immuno-biologicals, which were in shortage in the country and imported at high prices. Thereafter, several life-saving biologicals were manufactured at prices affordable to the common man and in abundance, with the result that the country was made self-sufficient for Tetanus Anti-toxin and Anti-snake Venom serum, followed by DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) group of Vaccines and then later on MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) group of vaccines.
The Philanthropic philosophy of the company still not only exists but has been proliferated to bring down the prices of newer vaccines such as Hepatitis-B vaccine, Combination vaccine etc., so that not only Indian’s, but the entire under-privileged children of the world are protected from birth onwards.
Serum Institute of India has established the most modern laboratories with high-tech machinery and computerized equipment for the production and testing of its life saving biologicals. Serum Institute’s commitment to global health is exemplified by significant investments in its infrastructure. The production facilities are continuously upgraded to ensure compliance with cGMP regulations and have been accredited by the World Health Organization, Geneva.
Serum Institute of India has crossed many milestones in technological advancement by installing robotic arm for virus handling, cell factory and cell cube for growing cells, facilities for the manufacture of polysaccharide and recombinant vaccines and for monoclonal antibodies.
Sophisticated tunnel systems, high speed vial washing, filling, stoppering and sealing machines are capable of working at a speed of 500 containers per minute and have been installed with filling accuracy to the third digit of decimal point to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Serum Institute of India has the latest technology screeners to inspect its products for any minute particulate matter undetectable to the normal human eye. Configured with high resolution CCD cameras and electronic controlled panel, the inspection is done fully automatically, thus reducing the margins of human errors.
With the licensure of additional facilities, Serum Institute of India has the flexibility to produce vaccines in more than one plant, thus facilitating production of large number of doses in the shortest time frame. This enables the Institute to improve the response time to cater to any international emergency or outbreak.
