Updated: December 3, 2020 9:30:06 pm
On Wednesday, the UK became the first country to approve the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 with the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granting a temporary authorization for its emergency use. (PTI)
Leading global pharmaceutical company Pfizer said Thursday that it remains committed to working with the Indian government to explore opportunities for the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine to be available in the country.
On Wednesday, the UK became the first country to approve the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 with the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granting a temporary authorization for its emergency use.
“We are currently in discussions with many governments around the world and remain committed to working with the Government of India and exploring opportunities to make this vaccine available for use in the country,” a Pfizer spokesperson said in a statement. .
Pfizer is committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to have access to the vaccine and is working closely with governments, he added.
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“During this pandemic phase, Pfizer will supply this vaccine only through government contracts based on agreements with the respective government authorities and after authorization or regulatory approval,” the statement said.
UK regulator MHRA has granted a temporary authorization for emergency use of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine.
This marks the first emergency use authorization after a global phase 3 trial of a vaccine to help fight the pandemic, Pfizer said Wednesday.
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“As we anticipate more authorizations and approvals, we are focused on moving forward with the same level of urgency to safely deliver a high-quality vaccine around the world,” Pfizer President and CEO Albert Bourla said Wednesday.
In November, NITI member Aayog (Health) VK Paul, who also heads the National Working Group on Covid-19, had said that the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine in the country could take a few months.
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“The provision of cold chains to store the vaccine developed by Pfizer at a low temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius is a great challenge and will not be easy for any nation. But then, if it is to be achieved, we are examining what we have to do … and we will develop a strategy, “he had said.
Currently in India, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India has said it will apply for the emergency use license for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine in two weeks.
The phase 3 clinical trial of the indigenous Bharat Biotech and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) candidate vaccine is also under way.
While the Zydus Cadila vaccine candidate has completed the phase 2 clinical trial, Dr. Reddy’s pharmaceutical laboratories have begun the combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in India.
Another national company, Biological E Ltd, has also started the first phases 1 and 2 of human trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate.
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