TATA IN TALKS WITH MODERNA

The Tata Group's healthcare venture is understood to be having discussions with Moderna Inc for launch of its COVID-19 vaccine in India, the Economic Times reported on Monday. As a part of this collaboration, Tata Medical & Diagnostics could team up with India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to carr y out clinical trials of Moderna's vaccine candidate in India, the report said. Moderna, however, did not respond to Reuters request for a comment. Unlike Pfizer's vaccine, which must be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius or below, Moderna's can be stored at normal fridge temperature, making it more suited for poorer countries such as India where cold chains are limited. Data released in November from Moderna's latestage study showed it was 94.1% effective with no serious safety concerns, the wire agency Reuters adds. The vaccine was approved for use in the United States in December and in Europe earlier this month. But even if the vaccines are approved abroad, foreign companies must conduct phase-3 trials with volunteers in India.