Serum - Protection from birth onwards
Serum Institute of India Ltd. and Merck (known outside the United States and Canada as MSD), have entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for use in the emerging and developing world countries of the world..
Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial infection that causes pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis and other life-threatening ailments. Current estimates show that at least 1 million children die of pneumococcal disease every year, including mostly young children in developing countries.
Together, Merck and Serum will form a Product Advisory Committee to oversee the activities required to develop and seek approval for PCV and pursue World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck, through an affiliate, will receive specific rights to market PCV in certain designated territories and Serum will receive specific rights in other territories. Both companies will contribute to the development and manufacture of PCV. Specific financial details of this agreement are confidential. This collaboration does not impact the on-going pneumococcal vaccine development programs in both the organizations.