Development of the Hepatitis B vaccine absorbed (recombinant) began in 1994 based on yeast that had started to express the Hepatitis B surface antigen as a result of genetic engineering techniques. After clinical trials carried out between 1999 and 2001, Instituto Butantan received Anvisa approval to begin production.
The hepatitis B vaccine adsorbed developed at Instituto Butantan is a recombinant DNA vaccine. Many different procedures are performed in order to guarantee containment of the genetically modified organism and the effectiveness and high purity of the end product. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, generally caused by viral infection. Hepatitis is most commonly brought about through infection by one of several viruses, the type of which determines classification of the hepatitis. The types of hepatitis infections with the highest incidence are caused by viruses A, B and C. These viruses can cause serious infection and chronic inflammation of the liver, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Caused by the B virus (HBV), hepatitis B is an infectious disease also known as homologous serum hepatitis. The vaccination schedule consists of three intramuscular injections, the second and third doses being applied one and six months, respectively, after the first shot.
Intended for immunization against rabies in human beings, the vaccine is prepared with the inactivated virus cultivated in Vero cell cultures, obtained from internationally accredited (American Type Culture Collection - ATCC) banks for the production of immunobiologicals.
These cells grow in high concentrations in culture media and bioreactors that do away with the need for animal-derived sera, therefore there are fewer traces of animal components in the final composition of the vaccine, providing it a higher degree of purity, excellent immunological response and low risk of adverse reactions. The process developed at Instituto Butantan has one of the highest yields described in literature. Rabies is a viral, acute infectious disease transmitted by mammals through two main transmission cycles: urban and wild. It is a zoonotic disease of great importance to public health as it shows 100% lethality.
In 1999, Instituto Butantan signed a technology transfer agreement with Sanofi Pasteur and in the middle of 2003 received financial support from the Ministry of Health and the São Paulo State Secretariat of Health for the purchase of equipment and the construction of the Influenza Laboratory.
In 2014 it received the Sanofi Pasteur Technology Transfer Certificate and the Anvisa Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices, making it one of the few certified biological production plants in Brazil. Annual, single-dose vaccination has few side-effects and is the most effective method for prevention, reducing the spread of diseases and diminishing their symptoms and gravity. Influenza, better known as the flu, is a viral infection that attacks the respiratory tract and is highly communicable and spread globally with more than 500 cases of infections per year. The infection lasts approximately one week and primarily affects the nose, throat, bronchi and occasionally the lungs. The most common symptoms are: high fever, muscle pains, headaches, intense malaise, cough, runny and/or stuffy nose. According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 5-15% of the population gets infected during the seasonal epidemic period, usually in the autumn and winter months. The flu vaccination campaign usually takes place annually in the month of May. People who are allergic to egg protein should not be vaccinated as the vaccine is made from chicken eggs. The choice of vaccine strains is made annually by the World Health Organization. A vaccinated individual can still be infected and have the flu if the virus responsible for the infection was not included in the composition of the flu vaccine.
The diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine adsorbed acts to prevent the following illnesses: diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. It must be administered to infants at two, four and six months of age with a booster shot between 14 and 18 months of age and one more when the child is between four and six years old. The DTP vaccine confers long-term, but not definitive, immunization. Therefore, the vaccine should be administered every ten years. The pertussis antigen components of the DTP vaccine are inactivated cells, which result in this vaccine’s more effective and long-lasting immune response compared to vaccines that use vaccine antigens from acellular components.
Diphtheria - also known as croup, diptheria is an infectious, contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae that lodges itself in the tonsils, pharynx, larynx, nose, and in some cases, the mucosae and the skin. People infected with diphtheria can have difficulty breathing, cardiac problems, neurological disturbances and pneumonia, this being the greatest risk in children and seniors. The number of diphtheria cases reported in Brazil has been decreasing gradually, probably as a result of the increased use of vaccines with the diphtheria component. Tetanus - is a serious noncontagious infectious disease caused by the toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani and shows two ways of occurrence: accidental and neonatal. The first way generally attacks people who come into contact with the bacteria when handling soil or through wounds or injuries caused by contaminated materials when the microorganism is able to penetrate the skin or the mucous membrane. Neonatal tetanus is caused by contamination when using poorly sterilized instruments to cut the umbilical cord. Tetanus can cause strong convulsions and strong muscular contractions, even causing bones to break in more serious cases. Accidental cases can be prevented by vaccination with diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine adsorbed in infants and diphtheria and adult tetanus (dT) vaccine adsorbed in adults. Another important measure is using proper wound cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Awareness building about tetanus prevention measures has also contributed to the reduction of the number cases in the population. Pertussis - also known as whooping cough, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis, which causes intense cough attacks that can interfere with breathing. Infection occurs through contact with respiratory droplets generated by the cough or sneeze of an infected individual, especially in the catarrhal phase and at the beginning of the paroxysmal phase in the first three weeks of the infection, when the pertussis diagnosis is barely suspected. Indirect transmission is rare. The illness can cause pneumonia, bronchitis, convulsions, cerebral disorders and even lead to death. Instituto Butantan is the sole producer of the pertussis antigen in Brazil.
The diphtheria and infantile tetanus (DT) vaccine adsorbed prevents the following illnesses: diphtheria and tetanus.
It must only be administered to children with contraindications for receiving the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine adsorbed or who have already been properly diagnosed with whooping cough. Both the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine adsorbed and the diphtheria and infantile tetanus (DT) vaccine adsorbed can be administered to children who have not yet turned seven years old.
The diphtheria and adult tetanus (dT) vaccine adsorbed prevents the following illnesses: diphtheria and tetanus.
serum for the treatment of accidents with jararacas
serum for the treatment of accidents with jararacas and rattlesnakes
serum for the treatment of accidents with jararacas and surucucus
serum for the treatment of accidents with rattlesnakes
serum for the treatment of accidents with coral snakes
serum for treatment of accidents with brown spiders, armed spiders and scorpions
serum for the treatment of accidents with scorpions
serum for the treatment of accidents with caterpillars of the species Lonomia obliqua
serum used for the treatment of diphtheria
serum for the treatment of tetanus
serum used for the treatment of rabies in human beings
serum used for the treatment of botulism type AB
serum used for the treatment of botulism type E