Centre finalises deal for 30 cr Biological-E COVID-19 vaccines, shots may be out in 'few months'

The Union Ministry of Health finalised advance arrangement for 30 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses with Hyderabad-based M/s Biological-E Ltd on Thursday. The COVID-19 vaccine of Biological-E is currently undergoing Phase-3 clinical trial after showing promising results in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. The vaccine being developed by Biological-E is a RBD protein sub-unit vaccine and is likely to be available in the next few months. In April, the Hyderabad company had got the nod from the Central Drugs and Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) to conduct phase 3 clinical trials on its Covid vaccine candidate, which it is developing in association with Baylor College of Medicine, US, and is modelled after the Hepatitis E vaccine. Apart from this, Biological E Ltd has also partnered with Canada-based Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc, to manufacture an mRNA (messenger Ribonucleic acid) vaccine PTX-COVID19-B in India. Biological E will handle all clinical development and regulatory activities for the mRNA vaccine in India and other jurisdictions licensed by it. It targets one billion dose production capacity in 2022. “Providence will provide the necessary technology transfer for Biological E to manufacture mRNA vaccines in India, with a minimum production capacity of 600 million doses in 2022 and a target capacity of 1 billion doses, a company statement read.