Bharat Biotech International Ltd has temporarily slowed down production of its Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, across its manufacturing facilities.
According to the Hyderabad-based company, scaling down production was to complete its supply obligations to procurement agencies and foresee the decrease in demand.
The company will focus on pending facility maintenance, process and facility optimisation activities for the coming period. “As all existing facilities were repurposed for the manufacture of Covaxin with continuous production during the past year, to meet the public health emergency of Covid-19, these upgrades were due,’‘ it said in a release issued on Friday.
Certain highly sophisticated equipment required to enhance the process stringency were unavailable during the Covid-19 pandemic, it said, adding: “It has to be stressed that the quality of COVAXIN was never compromised at any point in time.’‘
During the recent WHO post-EUL inspection, Bharat Biotech agreed with the WHO team on the scope of the planned improvement activities. It indicated that they will be executed as soon as practical.
“The company was also pleased to learn from the WHO, that the necessary optimisation work “does not indicate a change in the risk-benefit ratio (for Covaxin) and the data, available to WHO, indicates the vaccine is effective and no safety concern exists,’‘ Bharat Biotech said.
The WHO has further stated, “The vaccine is currently under the WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL)”.
“Bharat Biotech was diligently working to further improvements and upgrades to ensure that the production of Covaxin continues to meet ever-increasing global regulatory requirements,’‘ the release added.