The Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech International Private Limited pharmacy company on the 15th of June, released a key statement on the prices of their vaccine COVAXIN.
COVAXIN is one of the India made vaccines against the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and is playing a key role in control. They cleared the air on the vaccine price and explained why it was not possible to reduce vaccine prices.
The statement read, “We are selling it to the centre for just Rs 150 per dose. It is not possible to sell at such a low price in the long run.” However, they are selling 10 % less than real price to the private companies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bharat Biotech responded the day after the Center announced that it would once again negotiate with vaccine companies to reduce vaccine prices. Bharat Biotech said it is not possible to do business in the long run as transportation costs had risen and profits are so low.
As of now, COVAXIN is being sold in the markets for Rs. 1,200 per dose. According to Bharat Biotech, the average price of Covaxin, including all ingredients, is more than Rs. 250 per dose.
Bharat Biotech has clarified that the results of the third phase clinical trials of Covaxin will be released in July. The data would first be submitted to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), then it would be submitted to review journals. Bharat Biotech said the license for COVAXIN would be applied once the final analysis data for the third phase of the study becomes available.
On the other hand, a new study has revealed that the Covaxin vaccine, developed by Bharat Biotech, provides better protection against the delta variant, which is responsible for the severity of the second wave in India. According to Bharat Biotech, a study conducted jointly by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and the Medical Research Council of India (ICMR) has revealed this. The study revealed that COVAXIN is more effective on beta variant and on Delta too.
