Envoys will visit Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical companies Bharat Biotech and Biological E.
Hyderabad:
64 ambassadors and high commissioners from various countries will visit two key biotech companies in Hyderabad today that are developing coronavirus vaccines.
The envoys were seen on a flight to the city this morning for the vaccine tour, the first initiative of its kind.
The envoys will visit Bharat Biotech and Biological E.
Last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed more than 190 heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of leading international organizations on issues related to Covid.
Bharat Biotech, which develops India’s first indigenous vaccine candidate, Covaxin, with the Indian Council for Medical Research, applied for approval of its vaccine on Monday. Bharat Biotech is the third drug manufacturer to apply for government approval for its Covid vaccine.
Biological E. Ltd had said in November that it had begun human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate and expected results in February.
The drug maker began phase I and phase II trials of its candidate vaccine, which is being developed with the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and the US-based Dynavax Technologies Corp, after receiving the Green sign of the Comptroller General of Medicines of India.
The visit of those envoys to pharmaceutical companies is the second VIP visit after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited India’s main vaccine centers in three cities on November 28 to review the development of the coronavirus vaccine and the fabrication process.
Meanwhile, a panel of experts will review applications from two pharmaceutical companies, the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, today to approve the emergency use of their coronavirus vaccines in India, sources told NDTV. Pfizer’s application will not be considered today, as the pharmaceutical giant will not make a presentation today as its US experts are not available.
Britain on Tuesday became the first Western country to begin mass vaccinations against the coronavirus with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.
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