Title |
Indian vaccine innovation: the case of Shantha Biotechnics
|
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Published in |
Globalization and Health, April 2011
|
DOI | 10.1186/1744-8603-7-9 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Justin Chakma, Hassan Masum, Kumar Perampaladas, Jennifer Heys, Peter A Singer |
Abstract |
Although the World Health Organization had recommended that every child be vaccinated for Hepatitis B by the early 1980s, large multinational pharmaceutical companies held monopolies on the recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine. At a price as high as USD$23 a dose, most Indians families could not afford vaccination. Shantha Biotechnics, a pioneering Indian biotechnology company founded in 1993, saw an unmet need domestically, and developed novel processes for manufacturing Hepatitis B vaccine to reduce prices to less than $1/dose. Further expansion enabled low-cost mass vaccination globally through organizations such as UNICEF. In 2009, Shantha sold over 120 million doses of vaccines. The company was recently acquired by Sanofi-Aventis at a valuation of USD$784 million. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
India | 21 | 19% |
United States | 16 | 15% |
Canada | 3 | 3% |
Djibouti | 2 | 2% |
Switzerland | 2 | 2% |
France | 1 | <1% |
Australia | 1 | <1% |
Japan | 1 | <1% |
South Africa | 1 | <1% |
Other | 5 | 5% |
Unknown | 55 | 51% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 91 | 84% |
Scientists | 9 | 8% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 5 | 5% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 3 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
India | 2 | 2% |
Spain | 1 | 1% |
Portugal | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 96 | 96% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 18 | 18% |
Student > Master | 17 | 17% |
Other | 9 | 9% |
Student > Bachelor | 8 | 8% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 7 | 7% |
Other | 15 | 15% |
Unknown | 26 | 26% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 16 | 16% |
Social Sciences | 13 | 13% |
Economics, Econometrics and Finance | 9 | 9% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 6 | 6% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 6 | 6% |
Other | 21 | 21% |
Unknown | 29 | 29% |