Boost to Covid vaccine production as 2 PSUs get licence to manufacture Covaxin
17 May 2021
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Two central government undertakings, namely, Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) and Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL), have entered into a technology transfer agreement with Bharat Biotech, as part of the government’s strategy to ensure increased availability of vaccines against the coronavirus pandemic.
Government of India has proactively been encouraging public sector undertakings (PSUs) as well as private companies to enter into technology transfer agreements with Indian vaccine manufacturers in order to expand vaccine production capacity in the country.
In addition, Haffkine Institute, an undertaking of the Maharashtra state government, has also entered into a technology transfer agreement with Bharat Biotech.
Besides actively promoting technology transfer agreements, the central government has also extended substantial financial assistance to all the three public sector undertakings.
Indian Immunologicals Limited will be in a position to start production of Covaxin from September 2021, while Haffkine Institute and BIBCOL will start production of Covaxin from November 2021, according to a union health ministry release.
Bulandshar plant of Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL) in Uttar Pradesh will manufacture 20 million doses of Covaxin every month. The union ministry of health and family welfare will be providing Rs30 crore to BIBCOL for the production of Covaxin doses.
Government of India is also engaged in proactive dialogue with Bharat Biotech and some other PSUs, as well as private companies to execute technology transfer agreements. This would further enhance and augment the production of Covaxin in the country.
Under the new policy, 100 per cent doses of imported and ready to use foreign vaccine will be available for other than Government of India channel comprising state governments, private hospitals and hospitals of industrial establishments. The new Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy also incentivises in terms of prices to attract private manufacturers including offshore vaccine manufacturers to enter the country.
Government of India is also engaging with foreign vaccine manufacturers like Moderna, Pfizer etc, to apply for Emergency Use Authorization of their vaccines so yjst these can be easily imported and made available in India.
Simultaneously, India along with other like-minded countries is also stressing on IPR waiver for the Covid-19 vaccines. These two interventions, taken in conjunction, will ensure easy availability of Covid -19 vaccines not only in India but globally too.
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