Health Secretary Apurva Chandra visited the manufacturing unit of global pharmaceutical company Bilthoven Biologicals at Utrecht in the Netherlands today. The Health Ministry said in a release that he had an engaging meeting with CEO Juergen Kwik and CEO of Poonawalla Science Park at Bilthoven, Jef De Clercq on EU pandemic preparedness partnership and collaboration on the production of vaccines. He met the senior management and was briefed on the various manufacturing units of the facility.

The bioengineering and vaccine production firm Bilthoven Biologicals was purchased by Serum India Ltd, in 2012. This has strengthened its capacity to produce vaccines and provided Serum India Ltd, with a valuable manufacturing base in Europe.