Covid vaccine: Maharashtra pharma company getting ready for mass production of Covaxin
Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (HBPCL) has come forward to prepare the mass production of Bharat Biotech's CovaxinUnder Mission Covid Suraksha, the Department of Biotechnology has permitted HBPCL to manufacture Covaxin
PremiumGiven the growing demand for vaccination against coronavirus, a pharma company in Maharashtra has come forward to prepare the mass production of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin to tide over the crisis.
Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (HBPCL), a Maharashtra government undertaking, will have the capacity to produce over 22 crore doses of the Covid-19 vaccine every year once the requisite facilities are in place, the firm's MD told ANI news agency.
"We are hopeful that everything will be favourable and we will start production within our estimated time. Once the production starts, we will have a capacity for production of 2 crore doses every month. With that speed, we can work 11 months in a year and can produce 22.8 crore doses every year," Sandeep Rathod, Managing Director of HBPCL said.
Under Mission Covid Suraksha, the Department of Biotechnology has permitted HBPCL to manufacture Covaxin. Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR has developed Covaxin.
Meanwhile, the formalities of technology transfer from Bharat Biotech are under process, Rathod added.
"We are completing formalities of technology transfer and they will be completed soon. We have signed the confidentiality clause with Bharat Biotech and the finalisation of MoU is under process," he said.
He also said bio-safety lab (BSL) for the production of Covid vaccines is getting established. The work for establishing the facilities will take about eight months, he added.
"As per the required standards, a BSL-III category production unit will be needed for Covaxin production and we are in the process to establish such a lab in our premises," he added.
According to Rathod, the Centre has approved ₹65 crore to HBPCL to produce coronavirus vaccine, while the Maharashtra government would be providing ₹93 crore for the same motive.
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