India's leading research-based health management company, Panacea Biotec has secured Rs 143 crore-contract from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for supplying vaccine 'EasyFive'. EasyFive is world's first fully liquid pentavalent vaccine introduced in India, which immunizes children against five deadly infectious diseases including Diphtheria, Tetanus & Hepatitis B. In July, Panacea Biotec had received WHO's pre-qualification for its pentavalent vaccine in fully liquid form - a necessary condition for drug companies to become eligible for supplying vaccines to UN procuring agencies globally. With this, Panacea Biotec has become the first Indian firm to receive order from UNICEF for its vaccines in fully liquid form. The firm is already a pre-qualified supplier of OPV and Hepatitis-B vaccines to UN agencies. The order commences this year and would continue till 2009. According to reports, the market for this vaccine is estimated to be over Rs 4,000 crore per annum globally, of which UN agencies alone are likely to procure vaccines worth Rs 1,500 crore by 2009.