Bharat Biotech in pact to supply Covaxin to Brazil, Ukraine and US
03 Mar 2021
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Bharat Biotech International Ltd has signed an agreement with Brazil for supply of 20 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin. Delivery of the vaccine will be completed during Q2 qnd Q3 of 2021, the company said.
The Hyderabad-based pharma company is also in talks with the Ukrainian government to supply the Covaxin vaccine, reports said.
The company said it is delighted to partner with Brazil in its battle against Covid-19 and aid its immunisation program against the virus.
A team from Precisa Medicamentos has visited the Bharat Biotech facility early in January to discuss potential export possibilities of Covaxin, India’s first indigenous vaccine for Covid-19. The team had met Dr Krishna Ella, chairman of Bharat Biotech on 7-8 January at the Bharat Biotech facility in Genome Valley,
Both sides, had, in principle, agreed to prioritise supply of vaccine for the public vaccination, through a direct procurement by the the Brazilian government.
Supplies to the private market would be based upon receipt of market authorisation from ANVISA, the Brazilian regulatory authority.
On Wednesday, Ukraine's health minister Maksym Stepanov visited Bharat Biotech's manufacturing facility in Hyderabad. The Ukrainian minister discussed supplying Covaxin for his country.
"We will soon firm up the Covaxin delivery plan for the mass vaccination of our people, and further strengthen our partnership on intranasal vaccine supplies after initial results from its Phase 1 trials," the company said.
Early in February, Bharat Biotech announced a tie-up with Ocugen Inc, a US-based biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercialising gene therapies to cure blindness diseases and developing a vaccine to fight Covid-19.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ocugen will have US rights to the vaccine candidate and will be responsible for clinical development, regulatory approval (including EUA) and commercialisation for the US market.
Bharat Biotech will supply initial doses to be used in the US upon Ocugen’s receipt of an EUA. In addition, Bharat Biotech will support the technology transfer for manufacturing in the US. In consideration for the exclusive licence to the US market, Ocugen will share the profits from the sale of Covaxin in the US market with Bharat Biotech, with Ocugen retaining 45 per cent of the profits.
There is a strong interest in Covaxin from many countries around the world, and the company is fully committed to ensuring supplies promptly and efficiently, the vaccine maker said in a statement.
Bharat Biotech is a vaccines and bio-therapeutics manufacturer and claims to have more than 145 global patents including a wide product portfolio of more than 16 vaccines, four bio-therapeutics, registrations in more than 123 countries and WHO Pre-qualifications.
Located in Hyderabad's Genome Valley, Bharat Biotech has delivered more than 4 billion doses of various vaccines around the world till now. It continues to lead innovation and has developed vaccines for influenza H1N1, rotavirus, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, chikungunya, zika and the world's first tetanus-toxoid conjugated vaccine for typhoid.
