HYDERABAD: Biological E recombinant protein Covid-19 vaccine, Corbevax, might emerge as the most economical of vaccines from the Indian marketplace after it has emergency use consent (EUA).
Corbevax is supposed to be rolled out in a sub-Rs 500 prices, but perhaps not to get a single dose however the doses, and might even be priced under Rs 400 for two doses.
Biological E managing manager Mahima Datla had succeeded at this in a exclusive interview TOI before, adding that the pricing has been to be finalised.
SII’s Covishield is priced at Rs 300 per dose for country authorities and Rs 600 per dose for hospitals, whereas the corresponding figures such as Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin are 400 and Rs 1,200.
Russian medicine Sputnik V was priced at Rs 995 each jab from Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and are accessible only to private and state hospitals.
Corbevax is undergoing phase III trials and also stage I & II trials demonstrating promising benefits, the Centre has pre-booked 30 crore dosages for a progress fee of Rs 1,500 crore or Rs 50 each dose.
The first sign of Corbevax’s pricing plan came in Dr Maria Elena Bottazi, associate dean, National School of Tropical Medicine (NSTM) in Texas-based Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), that had been quoted as stating the vaccine, that will be modelled after the hepatitis B vaccine also utilizes traditional technologies, is economical to produce only approximately $1.5 (Rs 110 roughly ) each dose.
Biological E is cooperating with BCM for its receptor binding domain (RBD) protein receptor.
While Biological E has begun at-risk production of the vaccine within the last month or so, Datla had voiced optimism that the firm will be in a place to start full-scale generation of 75-80 million doses each month in August.
In case the vaccine has EUA from July-August, the massive volumes it might churn out may considerably alleviate the vaccine crunch that’s now hobbled the nation’s vaccination drive.