Eggs for vaccines bring big money

The story: A vaccine producer has isolated a disease-causing virus, procured specialised raw materials and glass vials, and is set to start producing

Eggs for vaccines bring big money 

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• The story: A vaccine producer has isolated a disease-causing virus, procured specialised raw materials and glass vials, and is set to start producing life-saving boosters. To replicate the virus for mass-immunisation, eggs are being made on mass scale. India’s largest poultry producer Venky’s, which has almost 100% market share in the country for specific pathogen-free (SPF) eggs and supplies to Serum Institute of India, has seen demand going up.
• Father of Indian poultry: Venky's founder B V Rao, known as the father of poultry farming in India, started a poultry vaccine production facility called Ventri Biologicals in 1979.
• The science of it: Viruses used for several vaccine production need host cells to grow. Fertile chicken eggs are an effective medium for virus replication and have been in use for over 70 years. At present, SPF eggs are not being used for the production of Covid vaccines. But research is on. The present high demand is due to the rise in the cost of imported eggs and increased requirement of other vaccines, including for poultry.

1. Of the 10 lakh SPF eggs being produced by us every month, a substantial quantity is used for the production of human vaccines for diseases like rabies and flu (including H1N1)
2. For Covid vaccines which require virus replication, alternatives like cell culture are being used
3. The price of SPF eggs depends on quantity & supply frequency. The price quoted by US-based producers is $2-2.5 per egg. The landing price in India will be higher because of freight & duty. Venky’s eggs are priced at around $1 per egg. Venky’s completed SPF egg capacity expansion in October 2020
4. It is targeting 85% utilization of the annual capacity of 1.4-crore SPF eggs in FY22 and reach 90% in FY23
5. From being the first Asian company to make eggs for vaccine production in 1983, Venky’s has grown to become the world’s fourth-largest SPF egg producer.
6. To avoid dependence on imports, Venky’s signed a technology transfer deal with a US company in 1983 for local production of SPF eggs. Since 1988, India has been self-sufficient in SPF egg requirements.
7. Venky’s has virtually no competitors in SPF egg production in the country due to a complex and lengthy manufacturing process. To produce an SPF poultry flock one has to select pure lines (pedigree stock) on the basis of characteristics like disease resistance, eggshell quality, feed intake, superior production, and maximum livability. These flocks then have to be cleaned against vertically and laterally transmitted poultry disease agents for three generations, which takes at least 6-7 years. During their lifetime, the birds cannot be vaccinated nor can they be treated with antibiotics.
8. The flocks also have special requirements like filtered air positive pressure houses, pre-heated feed, filtered water supply, and strict biosecurity.

• Summary: The SPF division is important for Venky’s not just from a revenue perspective but due to its potential for diversification. It is engaged in immunisation of SPF birds against human/poultry viruses with repeated doses. The antibodies produced are then transferred to egg yolks, which are purified & used for treatment, particularly in rotavirus infection in children (which causes severe diarrhea).

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