On Tuesday, Mr. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, announced the launch of "CERVAVAC," an indigenously developed human papillomavirus vaccine. The launch took place on the occasion of India`s National Girl Child Day and Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and in the presence of the Home Minister. Mr. Amit Shah and the Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs at the Serum Institute of India, Dr. Prakash K. Singh.

The quadrivalent vaccination "CERVAVAC" is the result of a collaboration between DBT, BIRAC, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, backed by Serum Institute of India Private Limited through its partnership initiative "Grand Challenges India."

In December 2022, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) chairman, Dr. NK Arora, had earlier stated that India was anticipated to receive the HPV vaccine by April at one-tenth of the cost. He added that the vaccine will be accessible to patients by April or May 2023. He had added that there were two or three businesses that were in the process of making the vaccine in India, but the Serum Institute of India (SII) has already received the regulators authorization.

Additionally, Dr. Arora disclosed that India experiences about 80,000 cases of cervical cancer annually. The majority of cervical cancer deaths worldwide occur in India. Hence, it is crucial to remember that vaccinations can completely protect against cervical cancer. He also mentioned that the Union government was planning to introduce the HPV vaccine as part of its national health programme for girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years. 

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/pharma/serum-institute-of-india-launches-first-made-in-india-hpv-vaccine-for-cervical-cancer/97294401 )