COVAXIN supply to be ready in from 15 June: Bharat Biotech

New Delhi, May 28: Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) is expected to start production of the drug substance required for manufacturing indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin from 15 June, which it will supply to Bharat Biotech International Ltd to process it into a formulation, by July.

Stating that Indian Immunologicals is expected to produce the drug substance for about 10-15 million doses per month, MD of IIL Dr Anand Kumar said it will be initially 2-3 million doses and will be scaled up to 6-7 million per month later in the year.

Bharat Biotech said,''The timeline for manufacturing, testing and release for a batch of COVAXIN is approximately 120 days, production batches that were initiated during March this year will be ready for supply only during the month of June.''

Bharat Biotech has tied up with Hyderabad-based IIL, which is a facility set up under National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), for manufacturing the drug substance of Covaxin as part of efforts to ramp up production of the vaccine.