Vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India is set to invest £240 million (over ₹2,400 crore) in the UK, to make vaccines, among other things. The announcement was made by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who indicated that the investment would be across manufacturing facilities, clinical research, a sales office and production.
The development comes days after SII chief Adar Poonawalla hinted on a production facility outside India, possibly to service contractual obligations that had been delayed. SII had received a legal notice from AstraZeneca, on delayed supplies. SII is the producer and distributor of the AZ-OxfordUniversity vaccine in India and other low and middle income countries.
SII has also reportedly started early stage phase one trials on a one-dose nasal vaccine against the coronavirus in the UK. The company did not divulge details on these developments. Recently, Poonawalla had told British media that he had faced threats in India over vaccine supplies. Subsequently, he clarified, that work was underway at the Pune plant, and he was set to return to the country in a few days.