In a significant boost to global public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has granted prequalification to 'Shanchol,' India’s homegrown oral cholera vaccine developed originally by Shantha Biotechnics.
The recognition enables major international agencies, including UNICEF, Gavi, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to procure the vaccine for use in countries grappling with cholera outbreaks.
Over the years, nearly 40 million doses of Shanchol have been deployed worldwide through mass vaccination drives led by UNICEF. The vaccine’s resumption of production after a temporary pause under its earlier ownership marks a crucial step in maintaining the global stockpile against cholera.
About Shanchol
As per information by the WHO, Shanchol is a bivalent, killed whole-cell oral vaccine that protects against Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 — the two major strains responsible for cholera outbreaks.
Made-in-#Hyderabad!
— Paper cuts_Hyderabad Real estate news (@abhinavaduri9) October 8, 2025
Oral cholera vaccine #Shanchol, originally developed by #ShanthaBiotechnics, gets WHO prequalification — paving the way for global supply via #UNICEF, #G
avi& PAHO.
Now revived by #GCBC Vaccines. it’s India’s only #WHO-approved oral cholera vaccine. pic.twitter.com/KqGvQq9Mk0
The manufacturing of this drug has now been taken over by GCBC Vaccines Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Shantha Biotechnics), following the WHO’s on-site inspection and formal transfer of prequalification. With this, Shanchol continues to be the only WHO-prequalified oral cholera vaccine manufactured in India.
“Shanchol® was conceived as an affordable, accessible solution for countries facing repeated cholera outbreaks. The WHO prequalification carries forward that founding mission,” said Dr. K.I. Varaprasad Reddy, Founder of Shantha Biotechnics.
Dr. Reddy, whose company pioneered low-cost vaccines in India during the 1990s, called the milestone a “revival of purpose” for Shantha’s original vision of vaccine equity.
Echoing the sentiment, Dr Ravi Penmetsa, Managing Director of GCBC Vaccines Pvt. Ltd., said the prequalification aligns with India’s growing reputation as a reliable global vaccine supplier. “As part of the founding family of Gland Pharma, I have seen how world-class sterile manufacturing from India can transform global healthcare,” he noted.
Although India has made strides in water safety and sanitation, cholera remains an underreported yet persistent public health issue in the country. States such as West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Maharashtra continue to record seasonal outbreaks in densely populated regions.
According to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), sporadic cholera outbreaks occur every year, often linked to contaminated water sources. Heavy monsoons and waterlogging create conditions for the bacteria Vibrio cholerae to thrive; hence, vaccination remains a vital preventive tool.
