Bharat Biotech Sends 3 Lakh Doses of Intranasal Covid Vaccine to Hospital

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 6th Feb. Bharat Biotech sent three lakh doses of its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to hospitals two days ago, according to executive chairman Krishna Ella.

He was speaking on the sidelines of an event in which the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Global Health Institute (GHI) and the Ella Foundation signed a bilateral agreement for the establishment of the first-ever UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru.

On January 26, the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, iNCOVACC, was launched. The vaccine is now available on CoWIN for $800 in private markets and $325 in government and state government.

“We dispatched three lakh doses of the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to some hospitals two days ago,” Ella said.

On whether Bharat Biotech is looking at exporting the vaccine, he said some countries and international agencies are approaching the company for the intra-nasal vaccine.

iNCOVACC is also the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to receive approval for the primary 2-dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose for adults.

Ella said the UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

It will advance the development and production of new vaccines for India. Furthermore, the partnership will enable collaboration across disciplines and geographic boundaries, provide Indian students and researchers access to UW expertise and training, and build research capacity in India, he said.

“Both Ella Foundation and UW-Madison GHI share a common vision to advance innovation in science, research, and knowledge sharing. Establishing the UW-Madison Global One Health Centre holds great significance as it will advance global health through research, education, and community engagement by facilitating student, faculty exchanges, research and education,” he added.

UW-Madison GHI director Jorge Osorio said, “We are energised by the opportunity to partner with the Ella Foundation to bring UW knowledge and expertise to expand innovative and impactful health initiatives outside Wisconsin to India.”

The India One Health Centre joins a global network that includes Africa and Latin America, opening up new opportunities for research, education, and actionable outcomes to benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems, advancing equitable and sustainable health in India and around the world.