BIBCOL set to start work on Covaxin-manufacturing facility in Bulandshahr: Report

While the company has WHO-cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) certified infrastructure, it, however, lacks the critical BSL-3 facility

As states battle shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in India, the central public sector undertaking Bharat Immunologicals & Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL) has approved a consultant to build the critical BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) facility at Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, to manufacture Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

This consultant will help BIBCOL set up infrastructure for this critical facility and the unit aims to begin manufacturing the Covid-19 vaccine within six months.

While BIBCOL has WHO-cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) certified infrastructure, it lacks the BSL-3 facility, which is essential for Covaxin production since it is developed using inactivated coronavirus.

SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

“The appointment of a consultant is a very important aspect because this is a very specific job and this has been done in discussion with Bharat Biotech. We cannot take any risk because it has to be flawless, zero-error production. We have to start by first creating the BSL-3 facility,” BIBCOL chairman Dr Y K Gupta told the publication,.

Both BIBCOL and Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), backed by the Centre for the facility, are aiming to start the production of 1-1.5 crore doses of Covaxin per month, within the next six months.

Earlier in April, the centre allotted Rs 65 crore to Bharat Biotech to ramp up vaccine production. The gap between two doses of Covishield was increased to 12- 18 weeks, however, for Covaxin the two doses must be taken not more than four weeks apart.

The Centre also directed increasing the production of Covaxin to 6-7 crore doses in July- August.

As of June 1, 2021, a total of 21,60,46,638 doses of Covid-19 vaccines are registered in the country.