Second made-in-India COVID-19 vaccine is here! Centre books 300 crore doses

New Delhi: In an attempt to strengthen India’s fight against deadly COVID-19, the central government has finalised a deal for over 300 crore doses of Biological-E COVID vaccines, which is second made-in-India vaccine against coronavirus. 

The union health ministry has signed a deal with domestic vaccine maker Biological-E for 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for 15 billion rupees (USD 205.62 million).

As per a health ministry statement on Thursday (June 3, 2021), an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore will be made to Biological-E from the Centre. 

"This has been undertaken as part of Government of India's 'Mission COVID Suraksha - the Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission' which was launched to reinforce and accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development efforts as part of the third stimulus package, Atmanirbhar 3.0," the statement added.

This is the second made-in-India vaccine after Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN. Biological-E’s COVID-19 vaccine, an RBD protein sub-unit vaccine, is currently undergoing Phase-3 clinical trials.

According to a Reuters report, Hyderabad-based Biological E Limited has signed a deal with Canadian biotechnology company Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc for its COVID-19 vaccine. 

The vaccine being developed by Biological-E in collaboration with the Canadian biotechnology company is an RBD protein sub-unit vaccine that is likely to hit the Indian market in the next few months.

Currently, three COVID-19 vaccines are available in India- Pune-based Serum Institute of India`s Covishield, Bharat Biotech`s COVAXIN, and the Russian Sputnik V. 

(With agency inputs)