Centre Signs Agreement to Receive Second Indian Made Vaccine, Reserved Doses of 30M.

Biological-E\'s vaccine is likely to be available in the next few months, Centre said.

Thursday, 3rd June 2021

In an effort to meet a stringent vaccination target, the government has reserved $ 30 million of the Hyderabad-based Biological-E-Covid vaccine, which is still in clinical trials. the second Indian-made vaccine to be used domestically by Bharat Biotech after Covaxin. The cans will be manufactured and stored by Biological-E from August to December and should be available "in the next few months," according to the move.

India was hit by a violent second wave of Covid in March-April. The government had to stop exporting Covid injections as part of its Vaccine Maitri program and slow implementation has become a major problem as experts warn of a third wave of Covid.

Biological-E's vaccine is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials after showing a promising response. In addition to Covaxin and India's Covishield serum institute, Russia's Sputnik V will soon be used to vaccinate people as the government nears its target of one billion vaccinations a day in August. It's also in talks with overseas manufacturers like Pfizer and Moderna who have insisted on a severance pay clause.

Also Read : Foreign vaccines such as Pfizer, Moderna with no Key India one step closer.

The new vaccine deal is "part of the government's wider effort to boost domestic vaccine manufacturers" by providing research, development and cost support, the center said.The government said Biological-E-Injection received Rs.100 million in grant from the Department of Biotechnology, which also worked with the company to conduct several studies that are part of the government's mission to find five or six new candidates for the COVID- 19 vaccine.

The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 or NEGVAC recommended the approval of Native Biological E for COVID-19 or NEGVAC. Biological E also has a separate agreement to manufacture approximately 600 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine annually.

The company announced Tuesday that it has signed a licensing agreement with Providence Therapeutics Holdings to manufacture COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in India.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

NDTV