Indian Immunologicals to start drug substance production for Covaxin from June

Indian Immunologicals Ltd, a city-based facility under the National Dairy Development Board, has announced its plans to begin the production of drug substance meant for COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin from June 15, and despatch the first batch to Bharat Biotech by July. IILs Managing Director K Anand Kumar in a release on Friday said the firm is expected to produce the drug substance initially for 2-3 million doses per month.

It will be scaled up to 7 million later in the year and eventually to 15 million. To further increase the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity, Bharat Biotech had said itpartnered with IIL to make the drug substance for Covaxin. The technology transfer process was well underway and IILhas the capabilities and expertise to manufacture inactivated viral vaccines at commercial scale and under biosafety containment, the drug had said.

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Kumar said IIL is converting its Karkapatla manufacturing unit near here into a Biosafety Level -3 (BSL3) facility for the production of the drug substance and also taking up construction of another block. IIL is also working on another COVID -19 vaccine and the animal trials are underway and is expected to come out next year for human vaccination, he noted.