| |MARCH 20259ZYDUS TO LAUNCH WORLD'S FIRST COMBO VACCINE FOR SHIGELLOSIS & TYPHOIDJAPAN'S MBL TRANSFERS PROTEIN TEST TECH TO AGAPPE DIAGNOSTICS IN INDIAZydus Lifesciences Limited declared its intention to concentrate on creating a vaccine that covers both typhoid and shigellosis. India's innovative capabilities are highlighted by this combination vaccine, which is being developed for the first time in the world and has the potential to defend against the deadly enteric diseases Shigella and Typhoid, the business stated in a news release.Early-stage development, animal immunogenicity, and regulatory preclinical toxicity studies will all be conducted by Zydus for this combination vaccination. Supported by the Gates Foundation, the project is anticipated to begin in March 2025.The WHO-prequalified Typhoid conjugate vaccine (ZyVacTM TCV) and Shigella vaccine from Zydus' partner will be used in the research and co-development of a combination vaccine by Zydus, a multinational life sciences company that specializes in innovative, reasonably priced, and highly effective vaccines.The best method of illness prevention and control is still vaccination. Children under five years old are protected by the TCV-Shigella combination vaccine from typhoid fever, which is caused by the salmonella bacteria, and shigellosis, a diarrheal illness caused by the Shigella bacteria, in regions where both illnesses are endemic. In a situation when childhood vaccination regimens are getting more crowded, costly, and unsustainable, this combination of vaccinations, if successful, will protect kids against two deadly enteric diseases of global importance and might even be a workable answer."The Gates Foundation has always supported efforts that help save children's lives. We are excited about supporting this initiative by Zydus, which would leverage India's science and innovation expertise, and has the potential to contribute significantly to protecting children, not just in India, but also in other parts of the world," M Hari Menon, Country Director, Gates Foundation, said. POIndia had to rely on the tests by imports for estimating proteins and is now being facilitated with a technology transfer from Medical and Biological Laboratories (MBL), Japan, to Agappe Diagnostics, Kochi. The advancements in the tests generally open doors towards disease detection and disorder diagnosis based on specific protein test estimation like kidney diseases, sepsis, infertility, and diabetes. According to Agappe sources, the technology transfer assures them of a stable supply chain in regulatory conformance with global standards for reagent manufacture.This collaboration is a huge boost to the production of diagnostic reagents, thus strengthening Agappe's position within India as one of the leaders in the healthcare sector. Also, it offers the opportunity for the first domestic production of these crucial reagents.Agappe Diagnostics Ltd. is an Indian manufacturer of diagnostic reagents and equipment with 70,000 customers in 90 countries. With the support of technical knowledge and innovations from MBL, Agappe hopes to penetrate the specific protein testing market and push into new regions, particularly Africa, said Thomas John, managing director of Agappe Diagnostics Ltd.Founded in 1969, MBL was Japan's first antibody-manufacturing company, still at the forefront of diagnostic innovation. The company specializes in autoimmune disease diagnostics and operates a full in vitro diagnostics (IVD) system, from research to clinical studies to regulatory approvals, manufacture, and global distribution.With innovative IVD solutions, Agappe Diagnostics has a complete product range that includes not just clinical chemistry and immunology but also hematology, molecular diagnostics, and point-of-care testing (POCT). PO
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