Zydus Lifesciences Limited announced on Tuesday that it will focus on developing a combined vaccination against shigellosis and typhoid. This combination vaccination, produced for the first time in the world, demonstrates India’s innovative skills and has the potential to guard against severe enteric illnesses such as Typhoid and Shigella, according to the company’s press statement.

This is a global lifesciences company that specializes in novel, affordable, and highly impactful vaccines, will collaborate with a partner to research and co-develop a combination vaccine that will include Zydus’ WHO-prequalified Typhoid conjugate vaccine (ZyVacTM TCV) and the partner’s Shigella vaccine.

Zydus will conduct early-stage development, animal immunogenicity, and regulatory preclinical toxicity investigations on this combination vaccination. The Gates Foundation is supporting the project, which is scheduled to begin in March 2025.

Vaccination remains the most effective method of preventing and controlling the disease. The TCV-Shigella combination vaccination is designed to protect children under the age of five from shigellosis, a diarrhoeal disease caused by Shigella bacteria, and typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella bacteria, in places where both diseases are endemic.

If effective, this combination of vaccinations may protect children from two severe gastrointestinal diseases with worldwide implications and may offer a realistic alternative in a setting where childhood immunization schedules are becoming increasingly crowded, expensive, and unsustainable.

“We appreciate the chance to work with the Gates Foundation and our partner on the development of the TCV Shigella combination vaccine. It represents yet another step in our ongoing commitment to bridging key gaps through innovation. By collaborating with key partners and leveraging our research and development capabilities to provide novel solutions, we can bridge unmet needs with high-quality, affordable vaccines that can have a long-term impact on global public health,” said Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director of Zydus Lifesciences Limited.

Typhoid is already a worldwide health concern, and many endemic nations include TCV in their national immunization plans. The GAVI board also endorsed a learning agenda on shigella vaccination for the 2026 to 2030 immunization plan. According to studies, between 11-21 million cases of typhoid fever and 5 million cases of paratyphoid fever occur worldwide each year, resulting in an estimated 135,000-230,000 deaths.

“The Gates Foundation has always supported efforts to save children’s lives. We are excited to support Zydus’ initiative, which will leverage India’s science and innovation expertise and has the potential to significantly contribute to child protection not only in India, but also in other parts of the world,” said M Hari Menon, Country Director, Gates Foundation.

Shigella was the second-highest cause of diarrhoeal mortality across all ages in 2016, as well as the leading bacterial cause of diarrhea, accounting for around 212 000 deaths and roughly 13% of all diarrhoea-related deaths3.

In December 24th, WHO revealed the worldwide priority endemic pathogens for vaccine research and development (R&D), with Shigella being a pathogen of concern in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, European and Southeast Asia.