A Bangladeshi pharmaceutical company has struck a deal with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to gain priority access to Covid-19 vaccines being developed by the world’s largest drug manufacturer.
Pune-based Serum Institute, in partnership with AstraZeneca, the Gates Foundation, and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, will produce 1 billion doses of a Covid-19 vaccine to supply the world. Oxford’s candidate vaccine, one of three being developed by the drug’s maker, is already in a phase III trial in Maharashtra and a few other states.
Follow the latest updates on coronavirus here
The deal comes days after Bangladesh also approved an advanced-stage trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd in a bid to become a priority recipient of the vaccine.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals’ plan to invest in IBS was announced on Friday after Dhaka said earlier this month that it was ready to conduct trials of candidate vaccines being developed by India, as both countries seek to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. .
Also read: Oxford Covid-19 vaccine controversy in Australia, some clergy express concern
“This historic agreement reflects the ingrained desire for collaboration between the two countries and as representatives of the two nations, between us we can go a long way to help mitigate the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the heads of both companies, it said in the statement.
However, details about the investment amount and the number of doses to be delivered have not yet been revealed.
Beximco’s investment amount will be treated as an advance and once the vaccine receives regulatory approvals, the SII will list Bangladesh among the countries that will receive an agreed quantity of the vaccine as a priority, according to the statement.
Click here for full coronavirus coverage here
Beximco would be the exclusive supplier in Bangladesh of the vaccine, the statement added. The pharmaceutical firm will also ensure additional doses that will be distributed to the private payment market in the country.
The SII agreement with Beximco comes at a time when Bangladesh has 310,822 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and the number of victims of the viral disease has exceeded 4,200, according to Worldometer.
(With input from Reuters)
.
