Maharashtra May Produce India's Next Covid Vaccine as Wockhardt 'Strikes Deal for 500 Million Doses'

Wockhardt, the Mumbai-headquartered drug maker, is reportedly in ‘advanced stages of discussions’ for a deal related to Covid-19 drugs and vaccine. A formal announcement on the front may be ‘expected over the next two-three weeks’. This comes a day after Union Health Ministry finalised arrangements with Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Biological-E to reserve 30 crore coronavirus vaccine doses for which it will be making an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore.

According to a report in ET Now, Wockhardt is engaged with multiple players for tech transfer tie-ups to produce anti-Covid vaccine and oral and nasal drugs. The medicines will be made at existing and new facilities in Maharashtra’s Waluj and Shendra, near Aurangabad. The report further stated that Wockhardt is in talks with the global vaccine players as well as the government of India for supply of these medications.

A report in NDTV, however, stated that the Mumbai-headquartered drug maker has already struck a pact in India for production of an undisclosed vaccine, and a formal announcement may be made in two weeks, following which production may begin in October. Wockhardt chairman Habil Khorakiwala told the news channel that the company will be able to manufacture 500 million doses a year.

The ET Now report had earlier said that tie-up talks for technology transfer of Sputnik V vaccine is already on between Wockhardt and Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. Some reports also suggest that the Serum Institute of India has already applied to get a nod from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to make the the Russian vaccine in India.

A Business Standard report further explained a ‘three-pronged strategy’ of Mumbai-based pharma company for developing a Covid-19 vaccine portfolio. While the transfer of technology for one foreign Covid-19 vaccine is underway, the company is also in talks with two more overseas manufacturers for collaboration on the already-approved vaccines, the report mentioned. Besides, it is also in discussions with research-driven companies that are in clinical stages of developing next-generation ‘multi-variant’ Covid vaccines, including nasal doses that are easier to administer.

Khorakiwala, however, told Business Line that companies involved with second generation products are still in the early phase of clinical trials.

The ET Now report further states that the Wockhardt, which is handling the Covid-19 drug and vaccine project, expects and earning of about Rs 1,200-1,500 crore in 24 months of starting drug manufacturing. The proceeds of the Covid cash flow will be used to reduce debt on books which stands at close to 2,000 crore right now as for March 2021, it stated.

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