Murdoch Children鈥檚 Research Institute and Incepta Pharmaceuticals, based in Bangladesh, embarked on collaboration on Monday, aimed at bringing life-saving innovation to the global healthcare landscape.
MCRI 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, said a press release.
Rotavirus vaccine, also known as聽 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鈥檚, offers early protection against dehydrating diarrhoea from birth. The RV3-BB vaccine, intended for neonatal or infant dosing schedules as part of routine Expanded Programme on Immunization vaccinations, has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of children鈥檚 lives annually.
In Bangladesh alone, 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 that by joining forces with Incepta Pharmaceuticals, they were poised to make RV3-BB readily available to communities in need worldwide.
Abdul Muktadir, chairman and managing director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals said that they were committed to leveraging their expertise and resources to ensure that RV3-BB reaches the millions of children, who need it most, safeguarding the health of future generations.
