NEW DELHI, Apr 29: Bharat Biotech, the manufacturer of Covaxin developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday said it would supply the vaccine to State governments at ₹400 per dose, a reduction by Rs 200 per dose announced earlier.
Bharat Biotech’s decision came a day after Serum Institute of India (SII) announced reduction of its Covishield price by Rs 100 per dose to Rs 300 to the state governments.
Bharat Biotech said “recognising the enormous challenges to the public health care system, we have made Covaxin available to State governments at a price of ₹400 per dose.”
Stating it is deeply concerned with the critical pandemic circumstances that India is facing, the company said it wish to be transparent in “our approach to pricing.” The price, a statement said, was determined by internally funded product development, several operationally intensive BSL-3 manufacturing facilities and clinical trials.
“With the greater part of the organisation’s facilities and resources being diverted to COVID-19 vaccines, we continue to work towards offering superior COVID-19 vaccines and sincerely wish that this gesture enables our country toward a faster recovery,” Bharat Biotech said while seeking to highlight how “for the last year, Team Bharat Biotech has been fearlessly handling live SARS-CoV-2 virus strains, tirelessly working round the clock while overcoming many challenges given the uncertainty of the pandemic.
Developed by Bharat Biotech in association with ICMR, Covaxin is one of the two vaccines – Covishield the other – India has been using as part of an immunisation programme against COVID-19 since January. The Russian Sputnik V has also received emergency use authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India. According to recent reports the first consignment of imported Sputnik V will arrive in May.
(Manas Dasgupta)
