Bharat Biotech follows SII, reduces Covaxin price to Rs 400 for states

Earlier, the Bharat Biotech vaccine was priced at Rs 600 a dose

Bharat Biotech on Thursday reduced the price of Covaxin, an indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine, by 33 per cent for state governments to Rs 400 a dose. Earlier, it was priced at Rs 600 a dose. The prices for the international market ($15-20 a dose) and private hospitals (Rs 1,200 a dose) remain the same as previously announced.
 
The move came a day after Serum Institute of India cut the price of its Covishield vaccine to Rs 300 from Rs 400 a dose for states. On Monday, the Centre had asked the two vaccine makers to reduce their prices, following objections by states over the differential pricing. 

 
Bharat Biotech said that “recognising the enormous challenges to the public healthcare system”, it had decided to make Covaxin available for state governments for Rs 400 a dose.
 

he Hyderabad-based firm reiterated that the approach to pricing was determined by internally funded product development, several operationally intensive BSL -3 manufacturing facilities.
 
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 1,500 crore as suppliers’ credit for Bharat Biotech to buy future doses of vaccines. It has also received a grant of over Rs 130 crore from the Centre to augment its production capacities to 100 million doses per month by September. At present, the company is able to produce 10 million doses a month and a ramp-up plan is in the works.