Even as the Government on Friday said that it has been working with Bharat Biotech and World Health Organisations to share data to get approval for its vaccine Covaxin, the Hyderabad-based pharma major and Ocugen expanded their partnership to co-develop, supply and commercialise the Covid-19 vaccine in Canada.
In the meantime, the DCGI has granted permission to the Serum Institute of India (SII), which is currently manufacturing Covishield to manufacture the Sputnik Covid-19 vaccine in India for examination, test and analysis with certain conditions.
Bharat Biotech said more than 30 million doses have been supplied in India and other countries. “EUAs (emergency use authorisation) are approved in 13 countries and in the process in more than 60 countries,” it said in a statement here. Occugen already had the rights to commercialise Covaxin in the US. It will retain 45 per cent of the profits from sales of Covaxin in the US and Canada. Shankar Musunuri, chairman, chief executive and co-founder of Ocugen, said: “As we work towards the submission of the emergency use application in the US, we will simultaneously seek authorisation under interim order for emergency use in Canada.”
The company is also working with the WHO to get Covaxin listed in the WHO-Emergency Use List (EUL). The company has said it expects the EUL between July and September. It had submitted a dossier with the WHO. Some more details have been sought, which is likely to be submitted soon.
The country is looking forward to World Health Organization (WHO)'s approval for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, the Government noted on Friday. It further said that 'the milestone will be achieved soon' and 'the process of data sharing is going on.'
Dr. VK Paul, Member (Health) Niti Aayog, during a press briefing regarding the coronavirus situation in India, said, We have been working with Bharat Biotech and WHO, data sharing is on, we are keen that this milestone is achieved soon. We are pursuing it.