Serum Institute’s Cervavac to prevent cervical cancer gets DCGI nod

CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), Adar Poonawalla said the vaccine is very important, particularly for all adolescent girls to protect themselves against cervical cancer.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Jul 13, 2022 09:46 AM IST

HPV vaccination can prevent more than 90 per cent of cervical cancers when given at the recommended age. (File)

‘Cervavac’, the country’s first quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) was approved by the Drug Controller General of India for market authorisation, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said in a tweet Tuesday. The vaccine protects women against cervical cancer.

When contacted, CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), Adar Poonawalla, told The Indian Express that the vaccine is very important, particularly for all adolescent girls to protect themselves against cervical cancer.

Earlier, Poonawalla had tweeted that for the first time there will be an Indian HPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer in women that is both affordable and accessible. Tuesday, he tweeted, “We look forward to launching it later this year and thank the DCGI and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for granting approval today.”

“The staff at the Serum Institute of India have focussed on the development of non-Covid vaccines also as we knew that after the pandemic is over, there will be many diseases that will need attention and intervention. In particular, this vaccine is very important for adolescent girls as teenagers and upwards need to protect themselves against cervical cancer,” Poonawalla said Tuesday.

The vaccine will ensure prevention of cancers caused by human papillomavirus (Type 6, 11, 16 and 18) vaccine recombinant, said SII sources. According to sources close to SII, the vaccine trials commenced in September 2018 across 12 sites in the country. The phase 2/3 clinical trial was completed with the support of the Department of Biotechnology. The sources added, the vaccine will be launched towards the end of the year.

HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sex. Long-lasting infection with certain types of HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer. In India, cervical cancer accounted for 9.4 per cent of all cancers and 18.3 per cent (1,23,907) of new cases in 2020 according to a report in the Indian Journal of Gynaecologic Oncology (December 2021). Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer of women in India despite being largely preventable. Majority of the cervical cancer related deaths occur in low and middle income countries where routine gynaecological screening is minimal or absent.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at WHO told The Indian Express that Cervavac is good news. “It will be great to see this vaccine being rolled out in the national HPV vaccination strategies in India and globally. We have a real opportunity to eliminate cervical cancer which causes a lot of death and suffering worldwide among women,” Dr Swaminathan said.

Story continues below this ad

Cervical cancer can be eliminated if all prepubertal girls are given HPV vaccination globally, Dr Swaminathan tweeted. While cervical cancer vaccines are available in the private market through international firms like Merck and others, several have welcomed the homegrown vaccine. Dr Sanjay Gupte, former President of Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, said, “We have been waiting for a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer for a long time. HPV testing should also be promoted. Cervical cancer vaccine should be a must for school girls above the age of nine,” Dr Gupte said.

WHO has also set Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy Targets for 2030 which entails 90% of girls should be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15 while 70% of women should be screened with a high-performance test by 35 years of age and again by 45 years of age.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
pune
SII

Loading Recommendations...

Mar 07: Latest News

Live Blog