National studies of a Covid-19 vaccine administration system at a vaccination center in Delhi, India.
Photographer: T. Narayan / Bloomberg
Photographer: T. Narayan / Bloomberg
Serum Institute of India Ltd., which produces the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford expect the Indian government to sign a formal supply and pricing agreement within a few days after the shot was approved for emergency use.
New Delhi officials have “orally indicated” that the first 100 million vaccines will be purchased and priced at 200 rupees ($ 2.74), and an agreement should be signed “in the next two or so years.” two days, ”said Adar Poonawalla, executive director of Serum, in an interview on Sunday. “They will probably get another 200 million after that and we will probably end up selling on the private market,” which could be approved in “two or three months” for 1,000 rupees a vaccine, he said.
India’s Comptroller General of Drugs, VG Somani, confirmed earlier on Sunday the limited approval of the Astra-Oxford shooting. The move came just days after the UK regulator approved the vaccine and is the first step in inoculating about 1.3 billion citizens in the country that hosts the world’s second outbreak of Covid-19.
“They just want to make sure they have enough products for the most vulnerable and needy to begin with,” Poonawalla said. “We are waiting for two things: how much they want and where they want it. Once they give us that direction within 7-10 days that we hired, we will launch it ”.
The serum, which is the world’s largest producer of vaccines by volume, has an agreement with AstraZeneca to produce at least one billion doses. The company has already earned $ 70 million, Poonawalla said, adding that an initial production target of 100 million by December had to be reduced due to a gap in approvals.
“In fact, we stopped production because of regulatory delays and uncertainty, not knowing how much to pack,” he said. “Allocate a shelf life when you decide to pack it and I have nowhere to keep it – we are building new warehouses, which will last another year and a half, even if we started building it in March. “
Poonawalla also expects to start delivering the vaccine to Covax, the World Health Organization-backed organization that buys fire for poor countries, by early March. The serum will likely send 20 million initial doses before reaching about 50 million within a month, he said.
The Indian regulatory authority has also granted limited approval to Covaxin from Bharat Biotech International Ltd. – which was partially funded by the Government of India and has not yet completed the vital three phase tests. Somani said Covaxin was upset that India, which has 10.3 million confirmed infections, had more vaccination options if mutant strains appeared.
Effectiveness, faith
Bharat Biotech said last month that it has already produced With 10 million doses before early release by mid-2021. The company says its inactivated vaccine candidate using a dead version of the virus has at least 60% efficacy rates, although it has not yet released public data and expects a peer review in an international health journal.
While the move to give limited approval to the Bharat Biotech vaccine was hailed as a “huge leap for innovation and new product development in India” by the company’s joint director, Krishna Ella, in a statement on Sunday, the sign regulation has been criticized.
“The approval was premature and could be dangerous,” Shashi Tharoor, a senior opposition MP, said on Twitter. “Its use should be avoided until the complete tests are completed. India may meanwhile start with the AstraZeneca vaccine. “
Poonawalla declined to comment on Bharat Biotech’s approval of Covaxin, but said only AstraZeneca vaccines, Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. it had “efficacy and evidence – everything else is faith,” he said. “Allow time to tell if it works and then we can comment on how good or bad they are.”
Pfizer is also awaiting Indian approval of its vaccine. Its need for ultra-cold storage makes it an unlikely candidate for widespread use across India. Both Bharat and Serum vaccines can be stored at refrigerator temperature, making them more suitable for the country’s uneven health infrastructure.
(Updates with CEO Serum’s comments in the second paragraph, details on Bharat Biotech’s approval in eight.)