Oral cholera vaccine Shanchol gets WHO prequalification

Made successful Hyderabad oral cholera vaccine Shanchol, primitively developed by Shantha Biotechnics and whose accumulation resumed precocious nether a caller management, has received World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification.

For planetary procurement agencies specified arsenic UNICEF, Gavi and PAHO, the prequalification volition beryllium an enabling proviso to root Shanchol for usage successful countries wherever cholera remains a large nationalist wellness challenge, said GCBC Vaccines, which is simply a portion of Gland Family Office that successful April 2024 acquired manufacturing facilities of Shantha successful Medchal and Muppireddypally, adjacent Hyderabad, from Sanofi. Founded successful the 1990s, Shantha Biotechnics was acquired by Sanofi successful 2009.

Inspection and transfer

“By resuming accumulation of Shanchol, we are bringing the aforesaid rigour and reliability to guarantee this life-saving vaccine remains disposable worldwide,” GCBC Vaccines managing director, Ravi Penmetsa said. Over the years, adjacent to 40 cardinal doses of the vaccine person been supplied worldwide done UNICEF-led vaccination campaigns. After accumulation was paused nether its erstwhile ownership, GCBC Vaccines (formerly Shantha) resumed manufacturing, with WHO conducting an on-site inspection and transferring the prequalification.

It is the lone oral cholera vaccine manufactured successful India with WHO prequalification, underscoring India’s captious relation successful ensuring continuity of planetary supply, the institution said successful a merchandise connected Tuesday (October 7, 2025).

Shantha Biotechnics laminitis K.I. Varaprasad Reddy said “Shanchol was conceived arsenic an affordable, accessible solution for countries facing repeated cholera outbreaks. The WHO prequalification of vaccine carries guardant that founding mission.”

More connected cards

The absorption is connected ensuring specified vaccines scope the countries that request them most, reliably and affordably, GCBC Vaccines enforcement manager Vishy Chebrol said. “At the aforesaid time, we are moving to bring different affordable and innovative vaccines from our pipeline to planetary markets, continuing Shantha’s contented of expanding entree to life-saving immunization.”

With the WHO prequalification approval, Shanchol — which is simply a bivalent killed whole-cell oral cholera vaccine effectual against Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 — volition proceed to beryllium supplied astatine standard to planetary request and to conscionable country-level immunisation needs, the institution said.