Hyderabad: Bharat Biotech, the developer of indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, on Saturday announced the prices of vaccines - Rs 600 per dose for the state hospitals and Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals – following the Centre’s directives amid the unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases.
Making the announcement, Bharat Biotech in a release expressed concern over the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in India and the world.
“We sincerely wish for the safety and good health of everyone. Bharat Biotech is honoured to develop, manufacture & supply COVAXIN for India’s vaccine rollout at Rs 150/dose which is distributed for free by the Govt. of India. We would like to state that more than 50% of our capacities have been reserved for Central Government supplies,” Bharat Biotech added.
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Taking about the unique features of COVAXIN, Bharat Biotech said:
- Proven, Time tested, Vero-cell technology, Whole Virion, Inactivated medicine
- Excellent safety profile with 6 publications in peer-reviewed journals
- Formulated with Adjuvants to boost immune response
- Ready-to-use multi-dose vial in liquid presentation, without reconstitution and no sub-zero shortage
- The distinct feature of having a 28-day open vial policy. Once opened, the vial can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for 28 days, thereby reducing vaccine shortage
- Phase 3 study demonstrated an overall 78% efficacy against Covid-19 and 100% efficacy against severe diseases, reducing hospitalizations
Highlighting COVAXIN is an inactivated and highly purified vaccine, making manufacturing expensive due to very low process yields, Bharat Biotech said all costs towards product development, manufacturing facilities and clinical trials were deployed primarily using internal funding and the company’s resources.
Stating recovering costs is essential in the journey of innovation towards other vaccines such as Intranasal Covid-19, chikungunya, zika, cholera and others, Bharat Biotech said: “Our core mission for the last 25 years has been to provide affordable, yet world-class healthcare solutions for the globe.”