The Instituto Serum India, the world’s largest vaccine producer by volume, is close to signing a supply contract with the Indian government and is likely to set prices for the vaccine against Covid-19 at 250 rupees (about $ 3.39) per dose, the Business Standard newspaper reported Tuesday.
The government is pinning its massive supply hopes on Serum, which submitted on Monday the first formal application for the approval of emergency use of the vaccine AstraZeneca.
The institute’s chief executive, Adar Poonawalla, previously said that the vaccine would be priced at Rs 1,000 (about $ 13.55) per dose in the private market in India, but governments that sign large supply deals are likely to benefit from lower prices. .
Poonawalla had stated that Serum it will focus first on supplying the vaccine to the Indian population before distributing it to other countries.
With 9.7 million cases of Covid-19 recorded so far, India ranks second in infections after the United States and is accelerating its review of vaccines developed by Pfizer Y AstraZeneca to authorize its emergency use, a senior official said Monday.
The Indian Medical Research Council and the Health Ministry did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters, while the Serum Institute declined to provide one.
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