The Union Government on Thursday has finalised an agreement with the Hyderabad based vaccine producer Biological-E and booked 30 crore doses of vaccine, which is still in the clinical trials phase.
This will be the second made in India vaccine after Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
The Union Health Ministry will make an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore to the company for the same.
The doses will be manufactured and stockpiled by Biological-E from August to December 2021, the ministry said, the ministry added.
The dose being manufactured by Biological-E is an RBD protein sub-unit vaccine and possibly will be available in the coming few months. The Biological-E Covid vaccine is presently undergoing Phase three clinical trials after it showed promising results in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.
The firm’s proposal was evaluated and supported for approval by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 or NEGVAC.
The progress has come after the government has declared it would vaccinate the entire Indian population by the end of this year.
Currently, India is using three vaccines to administer people, Covaxin (Bharat Biotech), Covishield (Serum Institute of India), and Sputnik V from Russia.
Also Read: 'Arbitrary, irrational': SC slams on Centre’s vaccine policy for 18-44 years
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court has come heavy on the centre for the weak vaccination policy and said that providing free covid dose to the 45-plus age category, Health Care Workers (HCW) and Front Line Workers (FLW) while asking the 18-44 age group to pay was “prima facie arbitrary and irrational”.