TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran plans to mass-produce flu vaccine in the near future, Iranian Deputy Health Minister for Researchand Technology Mostafa Qaneyee announced on Monday, adding that production of rabies human vaccine will also start in low volume this year."Fortunately, the production line of flu vaccine has been completed in the country and it will launch operation in the month of Khordad (May 22 to June 21)," Qaneyee, who is also the head of Iran's Pasteur Institute, told FNA today.
He also announced the country's plans to increase production of vaccine for animal rabies, and said production of rabies human vaccine is also on the working agenda of Pasteur Institute.
The vaccine will be produced in low volume this year and will be presented to the market for a clinical test period and after one year it will be mass-produced to meet the country's needs.
In recent years, Iran has taken wide strides in science and technology, particularly in medical and medicinal fields.
In 2011, Qaneyee had announced that the institute plans to produce human vaccines for rabies and hemophilia diseases.
"The center (Pasteur Institute), in cooperation with its affiliated knowledge-based companies, has started a project to produce rabies and hemophilia human vaccines," Qaneyee told FNA at the time.
He expressed the hope that his institute would start mass-production of the vaccines within the next 2-3 years, adding that the products will be sold not only in domestic, but also in foreign markets.
Also, former Iranian Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi had boasted the country's astonishing progress in producing medical tools, equipment and drugs, saying that Iran ranks first in synthesizing different drugs and medications in the region.
"Iran certainly ranks first in the region in producing medical equipment and medicine and those who stand behind us cannot be compared with Iran at all," Vahid Dastjerdi said addressing the inaugural ceremony of an international exhibition on medical, dentistry and laboratory equipments in Tehran in 2011.
The minister further mentioned that Iran exports medical tools and equipment worth $12bln each year and produces 96% of its medical needs, adding that the country also produces 70% of its needed pharmaceutical raw materials domestically.
By Fars News
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