Bharat Biotech slashes vaccine price by Rs 200; Covaxin to cost Rs 400
By Asianet Newsable English | First Published Apr 29, 2021, 6:28 PM ISTBharat Biotech, in a statement, said that the decision to revise the prices was taken while recognizing the enormous challenges to the public healthcare system in the critical pandemic circumstances.
Amid clamour over vaccines being made available to states at a higher price than the central government, Bharat Biotech on Thursday revised the cost of Covaxin
The per-dose price of Covaxin has been slashed by Rs 200. The vaccine will now cost state governments Rs 400 per dose.
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The decision comes a day after the Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla announced his philanthropic gesture and reduced the price of Covishield by Rs 100.
Bharat Biotech, in a statement, said that the decision to revise the prices was taken while recognizing the enormous challenges to the public healthcare system in the critical pandemic circumstances.
"We wish to be transparent in our approach to pricing which was determined by internally-funded development, several operationally intensive and first-of-its-kind BSL-3 manufacturing and clinical trials," the company said in a statement.
The Centre had a few days ago written to Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute, asking them to lower their prices amid criticism from several states who accused the companies of profiteering from the crisis.
Earlier, Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna M Ella had justified the steep price with recovering cost is essential for innovation.
In the new vaccine regime, which comes into force from May 1, manufacturers are to supply 50% of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL)-released doses to the central government. The companies will be free to supply the remaining 50% to state governments and the open market.
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