Chemically synthesized vaccines could be the future as they are economical, quicker to produce, reproducible and do not need high-end infrastructure like cold storage, Columbian Malaria vaccine scientist Professor (Dr) Manuel Elkin Parattoyo M said.

This was mentioned by Prof Manuel in his key note address at a symposium on Research and Development of the vaccines: Issues, challenges and opportunities, organised by PC2 Scientific Services, the Hyderabad-based strategic and technical consulting company in association with Federation of Asian Biotech Associations held at University of Hyderabad on May 19.

Prof Manuel who first created the chemically synthesized vaccine (SPf66) against the scourging disease, Malaria, followed by a large series of clinical and field trials in different parts of the world that allowed the conclusion of the feasibility of chemically synthesized vaccines. The vaccine was the first-of-its-kind against a parasite and the first one to be produced in a third-world country.

Prof Dr Manuel donated the SPf66 patent to the World Health Organization in 1995 to ensure a cheap and accessible cure for people in developing countries. Director of PC2 Scientific Services Dr Dasari V Ravi Kumar said “Our city Hyderabad is producing about 33 per cent of global vaccines dosages and 35 per cent to the pharmaceutical production in the country. Also I would also like to emphasise on the commendable role of Telangana government for understanding the need and providing resources to create large-scale facilities, R&D and production houses.

Through this initiative, we aim to bring international scientific expert delegation and to create wider opportunities in Hyderabad to promote research on affordable and accessible clinical innovations”, Dr Dasari added. Prof (Dr) Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo (Professor, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Colombia) and other speakers also spoke on the occasion.