COVID -19 Vaccine in the Market likely by September

by Patwal, Apr 29, 2020

A vaccine for coronavirus may be available in the market as early as the end of September, the chief of the world's largest vaccine maker. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India is working with scientists in the UK and the US to manufacture a vaccine for the global pandemic. The cost of vaccine would be roughly around Rs 1000. Vaccine production will take till 2021 with Codagenix and other US partners. The human trial of the Oxford's vaccine -- one of more than 100 being developed across the world -- started on April 23. Clinical trials of seven others -- some of them located in China and the US -- are also being held.

"That's what we hope to do by the end of May- we hope to start producing this vaccine so that by the time the trials get over in September, we could have a product that we can give to the Indian people and the world and not have to wait another 6 months after that to manufacture the vaccine," Adar Poonawalla, the chief of Serum Institute of India

Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker by number of doses produced and sold globally. The 53-year-old company makes 1.5 billion doses every year, mainly from its two facilities in the western city of Pune. (It has two other small plants in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.) Around 7,000 people work for the firm.

The company supplies some 20 vaccines to 165 countries. Some 80% of its vaccines are exported and, at an average of 50 cents a dose, they are some of the cheapest in the world.

How India will play a major role?

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last fortnight that India and the US were working together to develop vaccines against the coronavirus.

The two countries have run an internationally recognised joint vaccine development programme for more than three decades.

They have worked on stopping dengue, enteric diseases, influenza and TB in their tracks. Trials of a dengue vaccine are planned in the near future.

India is among the largest manufacturer of generic drugs and vaccines in the world. It is home to half a dozen major vaccine makers and a host of smaller ones, making doses against polio, meningitis, pneumonia, rotavirus, BCG, measles, mumps and rubella, among other diseases. Now half a dozen Indian firms are developing vaccines against the virus that causes Covid-19.

Its time India show Soft Power

If India play their role well the India can showcase its medical powess in all over the World.

At this when others countries blame China for Corona-virus pandemic, India will emerge as an Asian giant that actually helped other countries during hardship time just like when India supply HCQ(Hydroxychloroquine) to US, Russia, UK and other superpowers of the World.

Thanks