60 diplomats visit biotech firms working on vaccine

NEW DELHI: More than 60 heads of foreign missions who travelled to Hyderabad on Wednesday to visit two biotech companies working on Covid-19 vaccines were briefed by Bharat Biotech chairman Krishna Ella on the development of Covaxin.

During his presentation to the senior diplomats, Ella pointed out that the medical industry is working to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of making vaccines available for humanity.

Covaxin is India’s indigenous Covid-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV). Bharat Biotech recently started phase-III trials for Covaxin.

Ella also told the heads of missions that 33% of global vaccines are produced in Hyderabad’s Genome Valley. Hyderabad also has the largest US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccine facilities, he said.

The diplomats will also visit Biological E, whose vaccine candidate is set to start early phases I and II trials.

The visit by the diplomats to Hyderabad is part of India’s efforts to develop partnerships for the manufacturing and delivery of vaccines. It is also a follow-up to the November 6 briefing for the diplomatic corps in New Delhi on trials of vaccines underway in the country and efforts to manufacture and deliver the doses.

The diplomats, who flew to the southern city in a special Air India flight with all Covid-19-related precautions, are drawn from different parts of the world. Besides representatives of countries in the region such as Afghanistan and Bhutan, the group included South Korean envoy Shin Bong-kil and heads of mission of African countries.

“More than 60 heads of missions are being taken to leading biotech companies in Hyderabad. This is the first such visit and it will be followed by trips to other cities,” a person familiar with planning for the visit said.

Others familiar with developments said India has been contributing significantly to global efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic and there is a lot of interest in India’s vaccine development and manufacturing efforts.

The November 6 briefing, led by foreign secretary Harsh Shringla, was attended by envoys and senior members of the diplomatic corps.