Pfizer In Final Stages To Get Nod For Covid-19 Vaccine In India

"I hope very soon we will finalize an agreement with the government," company's CEO Albert Bourla said.

(Representative Image)

New Delhi: In yet another possible arsenal in India's fight against Coronavirus, US-based Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is reportedly in its final stages to get approval for its Covid-19 vaccine in India. The development was shared by company's CEO Albert Bourla on Tuesday.

"I hope very soon we will finalize an agreement with the government," he added.

The development comes week after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) allowed foreign vaccines makers such as Pfizer, Moderna and others to export their vaccines in India by doing away with the requirement of India-specific trials. 

While speaking at the 15th edition of the India-US Bio Pharma & Healthcare Summit being organised by the US-India Chamber of Commerce, Dr Bourla also said that Pfizer has made a specific plan that the mid and low-income countries, which includes India, will receive at least two billion of such doses.

"My hope is that very soon we will finalise the approval of the product in India by the Indian health care authorities and the agreement with the government so that we can also start sending vaccines, on our side, Bourla said.

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The company head also noted that significant local manufacturing of vaccines that is happening at the Serum Institute of India will provide the backbone of vaccinating the Indian people.

"But getting the additional mRNA vaccines from us and also from Moderna will contribute significantly," he added.

Pfizer, he said, is confident of producing three billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines and another four billion by next year, making it seven billion in all.