By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Battling allegations of kickbacks, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has terminated its deal with Brazil’s Precisa Medicamentos to supply its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, developed in cooperation with India’s health research agency ICMR.
In a statement issued on Thursday to Brazilian media, the firm said it is suspending its memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian company to sell Covaxin. It, however, did not specify any reason.
Whistleblowers in Brazil’s health ministry had said though Pfizer-BioNtech was offering its Covid vaccine, with higher efficacy, at a lower price, President Jair Bolsonaro’s government had chosen to partner with Bharat Biotech, and alleged corruption in the deal. As the row escalated, Brazil on June 30 announced the suspension of the contract to procure 20 million doses of Covaxin.
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