A university in Pakistan creates the “Dow Rab” dog bite vaccination

The renowned medical school in Pakistan, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), created the anti-rabies vaccination (ARV), known as “Dow Rab,” which is given to sufferers of dog bites over the phone.

This facility will first be launched in the province of Sindh and then expanded throughout the nation. After a phone conversation, the vaccination will be sent to the specified place in 48 hours, a varsity official said on Tuesday.

In a low-key event, DUHS Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Saeed Quraishy launched the “Dow Rab”.

He said at the event that 30,000 doses of the locally produced ARV, which are produced using imported raw materials by the Dow Institute of Life Sciences (DILS) at the Ojha campus, had been sent to the distribution network.

Quraishy declared his resolve to have it manufactured in Pakistan using locally sourced raw materials as soon as possible. We now rely on Chinese imports for our basic supplies. In order to accomplish this aim, efforts are now being undertaken to manufacture an extra 170,000 doses of ARV, he continued.

Director Pharma M&P Mujeeb Ali Khan, Director Legal and Administration M&P Munaf Lakda, Director Finance Muhammad Tariq Khan, Manager Commercial Dow Ahad Wasiq, Dr. Talat Roomi, Director Marketing Tariq Shahid, and other guests attended the event in addition to DILS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Izhar Hussain.

The vice chancellor said that Dow University has begun commercial manufacturing of the anti-rabies vaccine at its Ojha site, following years of arduous research and national regulatory hurdles. The cost of the entire course is going to be Rs 1,500.

Recall that during the height of the coronavirus outbreak, Dow University created IVIG Immunoglobulin, which helped hundreds of patients regain their lives.

A letter of interest (LoI) was earlier signed by Muller & Phipps, a distribution network, and Dow University.

Registrar Dr. Ashar Afaq signed the document on behalf of Dow University, which states that the distribution firm would make sure ARV Dow Rab is gradually made available throughout Pakistan.

In Pakistan, an estimated one million individuals are bitten by stray dogs annually, leading to 5,000–6,000 rabies-related fatalities.

Over 2 million doses of ARV are needed yearly in Pakistan, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad; the bulk of them are imported from India.

Due to disagreements over cost, Pakistan is currently experiencing a serious scarcity of anti-rabies vaccinations.

According to importers, vaccination and other biological product costs must rise as a result of the Pakistani rupee’s depreciation against the US dollar. Local production is also supposed to stabilize prices.