The Centre on Thursday allowed Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Haffkine Biopharma Corporation to manufacture the Covaxin shot for coro...
The Centre on Thursday allowed Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Haffkine Biopharma Corporation to manufacture the Covaxin shot for coronavirus, The Hindu reported. The decision was taken following Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s request to the Centre to allow transfer of technology of the vaccine to Haffkine from Bharat Biotech.
Haffkine Biopharma is owned by the Maharashtra government. The state government had sent the proposal to the Centre in the last week of February suggesting that the infrastructure of Haffkine could be used to ramp up the number of vaccines produced in the country.
Late on Thursday, Thackeray confirmed the development and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the approval.
The Dept of Science & Technology, Government of India, has granted approval to Haffkine Institute to produce Bharat Biotech's Covaxin vaccine on a transfer of technology basis. CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has thanked the Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi for approving this request.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 15, 2021
In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, the Union secretary for science and technology Renu Swarup said that Haffkine has been allowed to produce Covaxin for a year, The Indian Express reported. “In view of the current growing infection and demand for vaccines, Haffkine should start production as soon as possible,” the letter stated.
Haffkine has said it has the capacity...
