Jagan Mohan Reddy asks PM Modi to transfer Covaxin’s technology to capable firms
Jagan Mohan Reddy also requested the Prime Minister to transfer the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of Covaxin to vaccine manufacturers so production and inoculation both can be ramped up
Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, urging him to direct Bharat Biotech to transfer vaccine manufacturing technology of Covaxin to those capable and willing to produce Covid-19 vaccines, in order to help the country meet its vaccine demand. Reddy added that Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) should provide the viral strain to all interested vaccine manufacturers.
“We would request you to please direct Bharat Biotech to please do the technology transfer of manufacturing the Covaxin and ICMR-NIV to provide the viral strain to whoever interested and capable of producing the vaccine,” the chief minister wrote in the letter.
Covaxin, India’s first indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine, is a collaborative effort between Bharat Biotech and ICMR. It was developed using the SARS-CoV-2 strain, isolated in the NIV in Pune, which functions under ICMR. The ICMR and Bharat Biotech jointly carried out the clinical and pre-clinical trials in India.
Reddy also requested the Prime Minister to transfer the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of Covaxin to vaccine manufacturers so production and inoculation both can be ramped up, as the present manufacturing capacity of Covaxin does not cater to the country's vaccination requirements.
"It may take several months to get all vaccinated at this pace. Please explore the possibility of involving all such production firms and enable them with the technology, intellectual property rights to deliver the vaccine as quickly and as affordable as possible," he wrote.
Reddy’s letter comes on the heels of a similar suggestion made by Delhi chief minister on Tuesday in a letter to PM Modi, asking him to allow more companies to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines, adding that royalties can be paid to the current manufacturers for any use of their formulas. While Kejriwal urged the Centre to make formulas for both Covaxin and Covishield available, Reddy specifically talked about Covaxin in his letter.
Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.