Center ties up with Biologicals-E for 30 crore Kovid-19 vaccine doses

The central government on Thursday said it has inked an agreement with Hyderabad-based Biologicals-E for 30 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is still in clinical trials. The Union Health Ministry will make an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore to the company for this. The shot being developed by Biological-E is an RBD protein sub-unit vaccine and is likely to be available in the next few months. The ministry said the dosage would be manufactured and stocked by Biologicals-E from August to December 2021. The government said in a statement that the Biologics-E vaccine is currently in phase-3 clinical trials after showing promising results in phases 1 and 2. The company’s proposal was examined and recommended for approval by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 or NeGVAC.

The move comes days after the Center said that it would complete the vaccination exercise in India by December. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court asked the Center to make arrangements for free COVID-19 cases for those above the age group of 45, health care workers (HCWs) and front line workers (FLWs), asking the 18-44 age group to pay The policy was “prima facie arbitrary and irrational”. The Delhi High Court had also pulled up the Center yesterday, saying some people need to be accused of “murder” for sitting on the “untapped potential” of Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing. India is currently administering three vaccines to its citizens, Covaxin (Bharat Biotech), Covishield (Serum Institute of India) and Sputnik V from Russia. .