Covid-19 jab exports set to rise; Serum Institute leads the pack

Indonesia to get 5 mn Covovax doses, exports to COVAX to rise to 30 mn by Jan

With weak demand in India for Covid jabs, exports of vaccine shots are set to rise, with Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) leading the pack.

Supplies to World Health Organization-led COVAX, a global initiative for equitable distribution of Covid vaccines, have begun this month.

“The volumes are not high right now. However, by December-January, SII may export around 30 million doses to COVAX,” said a source close to the development.

January onwards, the volumes are expected to be much higher than 30 million monthly doses.

Meanwhile, sources also indicate that exports of the Novavax vaccine — yet to be approved either by the US Food and Drug Administration or the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) — are also set to begin this week. The first 5 million doses will go to Indonesia.

SII declined to comment on the matter.

SII is the manufacturing partner in India for the Novavax vaccine, which it has named Covovax. At the moment, trials on children (aged two years and above) are on in India. SII has indicated it expects the data to be ready for submission to the Indian regulatory authority in the first quarter of the next calendar year.

Indonesia has approved the Novavax vaccine for use. SII and Novavax had jointly applied to that country, said sources, and Covovax has been approved for use in Indonesia.

The 15-day average of daily vaccinations in India is around 5 million doses, which brings the monthly requirement in the country to around 150 million doses. SII alone makes 220 million doses of Covishield (AstraZeneca shot), apart from Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin (55 million doses in October and 80 million doses targeted by December).

India is thus in a comfortable position for exports to commence. Moreover, players like SII are facing issues related to stocking the vaccines at their plants and plateauing domestic demand. The company can stock around 100 million doses in cold-storage at its Pune facility.

Hyderabad-based Biological E had sent batches of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine to the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kasauli, in Himachal Pradesh around September.

The apex laboratory has green-lighted the doses, claimed sources. This paves the way for the J&J vaccine to be exported from here.

“Around 10 million doses of the J&J vaccine are ready for export. Once the Central Drugs Control and Standard Organization approves the report sent by CDL and Biological E is granted an export licence, the exports of these jabs could begin,” said a source.

J&J doses, approved by the DCGI, would be exported even before they are available in the country. J&J and the Indian government are discussing issues around indemnity in case of any serious adverse event after immunisation. The vaccines would not be locally available, unless consensus is reached.

Biological E withheld comment on this.

“Our teams are working round the clock to develop and broadly activate our manufacturing capabilities to supply our Covid vaccine. We believe Biological E will be an important part of our global Covid vaccine supply chain network, helping to supply our vaccine through extensive collaborations and partnerships we have with governments, health authorities, and organisations, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the COVAX,” said the spokesperson, adding, “It is premature for us to speculate on the timing of our vaccine deliveries.”

Last week Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi had hinted that Covid vaccine exports from India are set to rise.  “We exported life-saving medicines and medical equipment to over 150 countries during the initial phase of the pandemic. We have also exported more than 65 million doses of Covid vaccines to nearly 100 countries this year. As we ramp up our vaccine production capacities, we will do much more,” the PM had said.

India has exported 66.3 million Covid vaccine doses till April, of which 10.7 million doses have gone as grant from the Indian government, 35.7 million doses commercial exports by vaccine makers, and 19.8 million doses sent to COVAX.