Posted: 4 June 2024
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and Incepta Pharmaceuticals, based in Bangladesh, have embarked on a collaboration aimed at bringing life-saving innovation to the global healthcare landscape.
MCRI has announced the signing of a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Incepta Pharmaceuticals, marking another milestone in its journey to reduce the impact of rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhoea in infants and young children worldwide.
RV3-BB, adapted and developed from a naturally occurring human strain of rotavirus discovered in Melbourne by Professor Ruth Bishop AC and colleagues in the early 1980’s, offers early protection against dehydrating diarrhoea from birth. The RV3-BB vaccine, intended for neonatal or infant dosing schedules as part of routine Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccinations, has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of children’s lives annually.
In Bangladesh, where more than two million babies are born every year, the impact of RV3-BB could be profound. Globally, rotavirus claims the lives of about 450,000 children under the age of five annually, making the need for accessible and effective vaccines urgent.
MCRI Professor Andrew Steer, Director of Infection, Immunity and Global Health said: “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our mission to protect vulnerable children from the effects of rotavirus infection. By joining forces with Incepta Pharmaceuticals, we are poised to make RV3-BB readily available to communities in need worldwide.
“MCRI’s relentless pursuit of accessible and scalable vaccine solutions underscores our commitment to global health equity.”
Abdul Muktadir, Chairman and Managing Director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals said: “We are proud to partner with MCRI in this groundbreaking endeavour. Together, we are committed to leveraging our expertise and resources to ensure that rotavirus vaccine (RV3-BB) reaches the millions of children who need it most, safeguarding the health of future generations.”
With Incepta Pharmaceuticals’ established reputation as a leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, equipped with the capacity to produce vaccines at scale, RV3-BB vaccine is poised to make a transformative impact on childhood health worldwide.
