Amid Shortage, Bharat Biotech to Share Covaxin Code, Says Govt

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Bharat Biotech has agreed to share the formulation of Covaxin with other manufacturers to increase production of its COVID-19 vaccine, the Union government said on Thursday, 13 May.

“Not every company has this facility. Covaxin has been developed by Bharat Biotech in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research. We have already given this proposal to all companies, and we again give an open invitation to companies or whosoever wants to manufacture Covaxin. The companies should do it together, and the government is ready to assist in all possible ways," NITI Aayog’s VK Paul said, in a press conference.

Three public sectors companies – Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai, Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad, and Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahr – are reportedly being roped in to increase the capacity of vaccine production, as per ANI.

This comes as states across the country are battling shortages of vaccine, with Delhi shutting down vaccination centres after being unable to provide jabs to people in the 18-44 age group.

Covaxin Production Capacity to Be Doubled by May-June: Centre

Just a day earlier, the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday, 12 May, said the production capacity of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine will be doubled by May-June 2021, reported news agency ANI.

The production is expected to reach nearly 10 crore doses per month by September 2021.

The statement said that inter-ministerial teams had visited the sites of two main vaccine manufacturers in India to get their inputs on how production can be ramped up.

“In this period, there have been extensive reviews and feasibility studies on the plans being discussed with vaccine manufacturers. As a part of this augmentation plan, the capacities of Bharat Biotech Limited, Hyderabad, as well as other public sector manufacturers are being upgraded with the required infrastructure and technology. Financial support is being provided as a grant from GoI to the tune of appx Rs 65 Cr to Bharat Biotech’s new Bangalore facility which is being repurposed to increase the capacity of vaccine production,” the release said.