Panacea Biotec gets $127.3m worth orders for Easyfive-TT from UNICEF, PAHO

Panacea Biotec, an Indian biotechnology company, has been awarded supply orders worth $127.3 million from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for the supply of Easyfive-TT (DTwP-HepB-Hib), pentavalent vaccine.

The award from UNICEF is for supplying nearly 99.7 million doses of Easyfive-TT vaccine during calendar years 2023-2027 and is worth $98.75 million.

On the other hand, the Pan American Health Organization award is for supplying nearly 24.83 million doses of Easyfive-TT pentavalent vaccine during calendar years 2023-2025. The award is worth $28.55 million.

The Easyfive-TT pentavalent vaccine protects kids against five serious diseases that include diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and invasive infections caused by haemophilus influenza Type B.

Easyfive-TT is said to be the world’s first wholly liquid wP-based pentavalent vaccine. It was launched in India in 2005.

After getting WHO prequalification in 2008, over 150 million doses have been supplied to more than 75 countries globally, said Panacea Biotec.

According to the Indian biotech company, Easyfive-TT is a ready-to-use combination vaccine that does not require preparation by healthcare personnel at the clinic, lowers the number of visits to vaccination centres, and minimizes the overall cost of immunization for all stakeholders.

Dr. Rajesh Jain — Panacea Biotec Managing Director said: “We are delighted to receive the notification of UNICEF and PAHO awards for 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 programmatic needs of UNICEF and PAHO.”