Hyderabad-based drug manufacturer Bharat Biotech is expected to get the emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the World Health Organisation for its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin soon.
This was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Health, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar on Friday.
It has emerged that the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) is expected to meet at the WHO on October 5 during which they will discuss the issue of granting the EUA to Covaxin.
The SAGE is tasked with advising the WHO on overall global policies and strategies, ranging from vaccines and technology, research and development, to delivery of immunisation and its linkages with other health interventions.
The global health agency had earlier sought clarification on the data submitted by the Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer. The October 5 meeting has been called by SAGE after Bharat Biotech provided all the required data to the WHO.
In a related development, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Ltd, Krishna Ella, has said that the firm’s Covaxin production would touch 55 million doses in October as against 35 million in September.
“We are supplying 35 million this month. Next month we will be definitely supplying 55 million doses. Production at Bangalore is catching up very fast,” he said.
Bharat Biotech has also entered into an arrangement with Indian Immunologiclas and Hester Biosciences for manufacturing Covaxin. Ella also informed that if the Centre permits, the firm is ready to export the jab, though the firm is not in a hurry to look for overseas markets.
