Context: Bharat Biotech’s oral cholera vaccine- Hillchol has successfully completed Phase III clinical trials demonstrating efficacy against both Ogawa and Inaba serotypes.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Cholera; Cholera Vaccine.
About Cholera
- Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with bacterium vibrio cholerae bacteria. Ogawa and Inaba are two serotypes of Vibrio cholerae O1.
- Symptoms: Severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration.
- Transmission: Highly contagious and can spread rapidly in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene.
- Prevalence: It is estimated to cause over 2.86 million cases and around 95,000 deaths globally every year. Global demand for oral cholera vaccine (OCV) is close to 100 million doses a year.
- Treatment: Oral Rehydration Therapy (to replace fluids lost through diarrhea and vomiting); intravenous fluids, and antibiotics.
Hillchol- Oral Cholera Vaccine:
- Hillchol has demonstrated efficacy against both Ogawa and Inaba serotypes, in a double-blind, randomised Phase III clinical trial. The vaccine proved non-inferior to licensed vaccines and maintained a strong safety profile across all age groups, with only mild adverse events reported.
- The OCV features a simplified single stable O1 Hikojima strain, which enhances production efficiency and affordability, and is particularly beneficial for lower- and middle-income countries.