India Pre-Orders 300 Million Doses of Locally Manufactured Vaccines Under Clinical Trials

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As the COVID-19 situation in India shows no signs of subsiding, the government has placed a pre-order for 300 million doses of vaccines that have not yet completed Phase 3 clinical trials with a local vaccine manufacturer to address the vaccine shortage issue.

On the 3rd, the Indian government issued a statement announcing that it had pre-ordered 300 million doses of vaccines from the local vaccine manufacturer Biological E. The purchase cost is reported to be $205 million (approximately 230 billion KRW).

The vaccine is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials. India's decision to pre-order vaccines that have not yet completed clinical trials is interpreted as a reflection of the severity of the current COVID-19 situation.

The company stated that after completing Phase 3 trials, it expects to begin full-scale production of the vaccine as early as August.

Earlier, on the 31st of last month, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Narendra Modi government to secure affordable vaccines in advance to protect the country's poorest populations. Supreme Court Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud said, "The government must be aware of what is happening in India right now," and requested that a detailed vaccine supply plan be prepared and submitted within two weeks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.