Reporter -Myat Su Mon
Yangon, 17 October

Factory manager Dr Aung Htay Oo of Hepatitis-B Vaccine Factory run by Ministry of Industry (1) told the 7Day News Journal that the production and distribution of the vaccine to the local market will begin from November this year.

Dr Aung Htay Oo said that the vaccines are produced according to the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Regulations promulgated by the World Health Organization.

About 300 000 doses (for adults) of the Hepatitis-B vaccine, which have been produced using the genetics technology since 2005-2006 as a pilot project, will be distributed to the market in coming November, he said.

"About ten percent of the total population in Myanmar have Hepatitis-B virus that is easier and faster to be transmitted than HIV. This vaccine can take the place of the imported drugs and we can give assurance of its quality. From now on, the locally manufactured vaccine which meets international standards will become available for the people at about the half price of imported vaccines," factory manager Dr Aung Htay Oo told the 7Day News Journal.

The production side of the Hepatitis-B vaccine will be taken care of by Hepatitis-B Vaccine Factory, Myanmar Pharmaceutical Industries, Ministry of Industry (1) and the marketing and distribution side will be handled by Fortune International Company Limited.

"At the first stage, the vaccine will be distributed in Yangon and Mandalay. Later, it will be distributed to other towns and cities with are accessible by air as the second stage. In the beginning, it will be distributed to the private drug market," he said.

The Ministry of Health handed over the operation of Hepatitis-B Vaccine Factory to the Ministry of Industry (1) in August 2006. The full production capacity of the factory is 3.5 million doses (for adults) per year.

Source : 7Day News Journal, 25 October 2007