"The provisional scientific data of Biological E’s Corbevax is very promising," the Centre said on Tuesday indicating that the vaccine will likely be available by September. Dr VK Paul, Niti Aayog member (health) while addressing media said “The provisional scientific data of Biological E’s Corbevax is very promising. We shall wait for Biological E to announce the price of Corbevax."
He said that the government has also placed an order to purchase 300 million doses of Corbevax adding that the Centre is waiting for Biological E to announce the price of Corbevax and said that the financial aid given by the government will help cover the costs of procuring the doses of the vaccine.
“We should wait for Biological E to announce the price of Corbevax. It shall also depend on the negotiations with the company and the financial aid that has been given will meet part of the price of the vaccine. The government has placed an order to purchase 30 crore doses of Biological E's vaccine which will be available by September,” Paul said during the press conference.
“The government placed an order for procurement of 25 crores doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of Covaxin. These 44 crore doses of Covishield (25 crore doses) and Covaxin (19 crore doses) will be available till December 2021 starting now,” he further added.
He also said that 30% of the advance for procuring these vaccines have been released to both the vaccine manufacturers. The health ministry last week in a release said that it will also make an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore to Biological E.
Corbevax is a RBD protein subunit vaccine and is currently undergoing its Phase III clinical trials.
Currently, the government of India is administering shots of two authorised doses - Covishield and Covaxin against the novel coronavirus. However, Corbevex may emerge as the cheapest vaccine in India once it gets emergency use approval.
