Indian animal healthcare firm Hester Biosciences has received regulatory approval to manufacture and market an inactivated vaccine for Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) in poultry, marking a significant step in strengthening disease prevention in the sector.
The manufacturing licence has been granted by the Food and Drugs Control Administration, allowing the company to produce the H9N2 strain-based inactivated avian influenza vaccine. The approval enables Hester to commercialise the vaccine for use in poultry across the country.
Persistent threat to poultry farms
The H9N2 strain of avian influenza has remained a recurring challenge for poultry farmers, particularly due to its year-round presence in flocks. While classified as low pathogenic, the virus is known to cause serious economic damage through comorbidity with other infections.
In layer birds, H9N2 infections can result in an irreversible decline in egg production, while broilers often suffer from reduced growth performance. Mortality levels can rise sharply when the virus occurs alongside other diseases, increasing the financial strain on farmers.
Industry experts say the availability of a licensed, domestically manufactured vaccine could help reduce productivity losses and improve flock health management.
Regulatory milestone for Hester
For Hester Biosciences, the licence represents an important regulatory milestone as the company continues to expand its prevention-led poultry healthcare portfolio. Vaccines form a core part of Hester’s strategy to address infectious diseases affecting livestock and poultry.
The H9N2 vaccine has been developed using technology acquired from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD) through Agrinnovate India, the government’s agri-business arm.
Strengthening disease preparedness
The approval comes amid growing focus on biosecurity and preventive healthcare in India’s poultry sector, which has faced repeated disease outbreaks in recent years. With poultry playing a critical role in food security and rural livelihoods, access to effective vaccines is seen as a key tool in improving resilience across the value chain.
Hester said the licence would support wider adoption of preventive vaccination and help mitigate the long-term impact of avian influenza on poultry productivity.
