BENGALURU (Reuters) – The Consortium for Epidemic Preparation Innovation (CEPI) will help fund the production of COVID-19 vaccine by Indian drug retailer Biological E. Ltd, the global epidemic response group said Tuesday .
CEPI will raise an initial sum of up to $ 5 million and will consider providing more funding to help produce 100 million doses of the vaccine next year, the agency and Biological E. said in a bit joint statement. ly / 2WS5alx.
Hyderabad company’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate is currently in early to mid-term trials, with plans to start end-of-phase testing in April.
Indian health authorities plan to launch a vaccination campaign for about 300 million people early next month in the country which reports the world’s highest coronavirus infections at around 10.22 million, but which has seen a decline in everyday matters from a peak in September.
“A candidate has the potential to produce a vaccine (biological E.) at a scale, and features that may be suitable for widespread distribution in developing countries,” said Richard Hatchett, CEPI chief executive.
Norway-based CEPI, together with the GAVI vaccine alliance and the World Health Organization, will lead the COVAX alliance which aims to achieve equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries. CEPI is supported by 14 governments, the Bill and the Melinda Gates Foundation and the British Wellcome Trust.
The Indian government is expected to grant emergency use approval for COVID-19 vaccine made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca within days.
Local regulators are also considering similar agreements for the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine and another developed by Bharat Biotech in India.
Reporting by Anuron Kumar Mitra in Bengaluru; Edited by Aditya Soni