NEW DELHI, Jan 5: After an unseemly public spat during which the two vaccine-makers threw muds on each other, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech on Tuesday issued a joint statement communicating their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines for India and also globally.
Stating the important task in front of them is saving the lives and livelihoods of populations in India and the world, SII CEO Adar Poonawala and Bharat Biotech chairman Krishna Ella, jointly on behalf of the two firms said, “Vaccines are a global public health good and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest.”
They further added that now that two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued EUA (emergency use authorisation) in India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines.
“Both our Companies are fully engaged in this activity and consider it our duty to the nation and the world at large to ensure a smooth rollout of vaccines. Each of our Companies will continue their COVID-19 vaccines development activities as planned,” the statement said.
The Drug Controller General of India had on Sunday given emergency use authorization to both “Covishield” developed by Oxford University / AstraZeneca and being manufactured under license by the SII, and “Covaxin” indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
The two added that they are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, “we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our COVID-19 vaccines,” they said.
Earlier in the day, Poonawala had tweeted: “I would like to clarify two matters; as there is confusion in the public domain, exports of vaccines are permitted to all countries and a joint public statement clearing up any recent miscommunication with regards to Bharat Biotech will be made.”
The tweet came following a virtual media conference on Monday evening by the Ella during which he lashed out at the SII and other critics allegedly comparing “Covaxin” with plain water calling it “safe just as water.”
Meanwhile, even as some Central ministers and ruling BJP leaders targeted the opposition parties for criticizing DCGI short-circuiting the route before granting emergency use approval to the two vaccines, the Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum, a national association of doctors and scientists on Tuesday said they suspected that clearance granted to Covid vaccines by DCGI meant profit and political gains had taken precedence over science.
In a statement, the group said India was quick to criticise China and Russia for emergency approvals without efficacy data but it failed to exercise diligence when its turn arrived.
(Manas Dasgupta)
