Ukraine in talks with Bharat Biotech for Covaxin supply

We look forward to benefiting from India’s vast capability in the manufacture of vaccines, said Ukraine's health minister

A Ukrainian delegation led by the country’s Health Minister Dr Maksym Stepanov held discussions with Bharat Biotech's management on Wednesday, on securing the supplies of Covaxin for the Eastern European nation.

The three-member, high-power delegation visited the Bio-Safety Level 3 manufacturing facility in Hyderabad's Genome Valley.

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“We have discussed potential timelines for the supply of Covaxin to Ukraine on a priority and the prospects of a partnership for our BBV 154 intranasal vaccine. There is a lot of interest in Covaxin worldwide. We stand fully committed to meeting the vaccine requirements of various countries promptly and efficiently," said Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech.

“We look forward to benefiting from India’s vast capability in the manufacture of vaccines to effectively combat the Covid-19 pandemic at home. We had a very good interaction and we will soon firm up the Covaxin delivery plan for the mass vaccination of our people, and further strengthen our partnership on intranasal vaccine supplies after initial results from its Phase 1 trials," said Dr Stepanov.

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The Hyderabad-based biotech firm last year developed BBV152 or Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology.

The indigenously developed inactivated, two-dose SARS-CoV2 vaccine is part of the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programme in the country. Covaxin was given emergency use authorisation by the central drug authorities even as it was in Phase-3 trials.