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Tag: SII

  • Fire breaks out at Serum Institute of India in Pune

    By Online Desk
    A fire broke out at an under-construction unit of the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune on Thursday afternoon.

    At least 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Thick clouds of smoke could be seen billowing out of one of the buildings in the SII complex. 

    Dr Rajendra Shingne, Food and Drugs Administration minister, told The New Indian Express that the fire will not affect the production of Covid-19 vaccines at SII.

    The fire, the minister confirmed, had broken out at a different building where BCG vaccines were being produced.

    The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s office also issued a statement confirming this. 

    It read ‘the vaccines and the vaccine manufacturing plant are safe at Serum Institute of India. CM Uddhav Thackeray is in touch with Pune Municipal Commissioner and is taking complete on-ground updates. He has directed state machinery to coordinate and ensure that situation is under control.’ 

    Deputy Commissioner of Police Namrata Patil told PTI the fire broke out at 2.45 pm on the fourth and fifth floor of the SEZ 3 building in the Serum Institute premises.

    Ranpise said, “We are yet to confirm the cause of the fire” adding that “efforts are on douse the fire.”

    CEO Adar Poonawalla on Twitter said, “thank you everyone for your concern and prayers. So far the most important thing is that there have been no lives lost or major injuries due to the fire, despite a few floors being destroyed”.

    Thank you everyone for your concern and prayers. So far the most important thing is that there have been no lives lost or major injuries due to the fire, despite a few floors being destroyed.
    — Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 21, 2021

    The SII is one of the world’s largest vaccine makers and is producing Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’.

    (With Express News Service inputs)

  • States will get 165 million doses of Covid vaccines by Thursday

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Centre announced that all 165 million doses of Covishield and Covaxin for which it signed purchase orders with Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech will reach the states by Thursday, two days before the actual inoculations begin. 

    Vaccinations will begin with healthcare workers followed by frontline workers in the first phase. Approximately 1 crore health care workers, approximately 2 crore front line workers and around 27 crore prioritized age groups will be covered in the first phase of vaccination.  

    “At many places in the world, more than one vaccine is being administered, but, presently, in no country, vaccine recipients have the option of choosing the shots,” Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said to a query on whether there will be an option to choose from the two vaccines.

    Both vaccines will be given in two doses 28 days apart even if the accelerated approvals given to the two companies have kept a flexibility of higher duration. “The inoculation effect takes 14 days to develop after the administration of the two dosages. Hence, it is imperative to maintain Covid appropriate behaviour before and after one gets vaccinated,” said Bhushan. 

    On Monday, SII and Bharat Biotech started dispatching consignments to regional stores across the country. Within Tuesday afternoon, about 54.72 lakh doses of vaccine reached the states.  The Centre has procured Covishield and Covaxin at Rs 200 and Rs 295 per dose, excluding taxes, from the manufacturers.

    Covaxin was being purchased at a higher price because Bharat Biotech was also giving 16.5 lakh doses — out of 55 million doses for which the purchase deal was inked —  free of cost and with that the total cost per dose came down to Rs 206, Bhushan clarified.

    V K Paul, member, health, Niti Aayog stressed that there should be no doubt about the safety of the vaccines, adding that the two vaccines were tested on thousands of people and the side effects are negligible.   “There is no risk of any significance.” 

  • Gujarat to receive first consignment of 2.76 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday

    By ANI
    AHMEDABAD: The first consignment of 2,76,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covidshield’ will arrive in Ahmedabad from Pune on Monday.

    D Patel, Additional Director, Family Welfare, Gujarat Government said that 2.76 lakh doses of the vaccines will be given to Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bhavnagar zones. Vaccination will begin at 287 session sites from January 16.

    ALSO READ | Govt committed to buying another 4.5 crore doses of Covishield vaccine from Serum Institute

    “First consignment of COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in Ahmedabad today. 2.76 lakh doses arriving here today will be given to Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bhavnagar zones. Vaccination will begin at 287 session sites from January 16,” he said.

    It is to mention that Air India is carrying the first consignment from Pune to Ahmedabad.

    “Air India is all set to play a pivotal role in vaccination mission, carrying the first consignment of 2,76,000 vaccine doses weighing 700 kilograms approx from Pune to Ahmedabad today,” said an official statement of the airline company.

    Meanwhile, amid tight security, three trucks carrying the very first consignment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine reached Pune airport to be flown to 13 locations across the country today.

    The Serum Institute of India (SII) has received a purchase order from the Government of India for 11 million doses of Covishield vaccine, which would be available at the price of Rs 200 per dose, SII officials had said on Monday.

    ALSO READ | First COVID-19 vaccine consignment reaches Delhi from Pune

    The first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country is starting from January 16, the Union Health Ministry had said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said around 3 crore healthcare workers and frontline workers will be vaccinated in the first phase of vaccination.

    “In the second phase, those above 50 years and those under 50 years with co-morbid conditions will be vaccinated,” he has informed. 

  • Govt committed to buying another 4.5 crore doses of Covishield vaccine from Serum Institute

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government has committed to buy from the Serum Institute further 4.5 crore doses of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, at a price of Rs 200 per shot plus applicable taxes by April, in addition to a firm order given to the company for 1.1 crore doses.

    Fights have started ferrying the vaccines to different cities from Pune from Tuesday morning.

    According to the purchase order placed on Monday, each dose of the vaccine has been priced at Rs 200 and with GST of Rs 10, it would cost Rs 210.

    The HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector undertaking, issued the supply orders on behalf of the Union Health Ministry on Monday.

    ALSO READ | First COVID-19 vaccine consignment reaches Delhi from Pune

    The first order of 1.1 crore doses of Covishield will be worth Rs 231 crore, while the total amount including the commitment for 4.5 crore doses will amount to an estimated Rs 1,176 crore at current rates, according to sources.

    “It is further informed that there is a commitment to purchase further 450 lakh doses from Serum Institute of India Pvt Limited, a manufacturer  (through subsidiary Serum Institute of Life Sciences Pvt Limited) at Rs 200 per dose plus GST if applicable by April 2021,” the letter of comfort signed by Prakash Kumar Singh, Additional Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) and R S Manku, Vice President (Govt Business) stated.

    “This is in continuation to the supply order dated January 11 for supply of 1.1 crore doses of Covishield vaccine as approved by DCGI vide permission dated January 3 for restricted use in emergency situation,” it stated.

    The government on Monday also placed an order to Bharat Biotech for 55 lakh doses of indigenously developed Covaxin costing Rs 162 crore. India had recently approved two vaccines, Oxford’s Covishield manufactured by SII in the country and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, for restricted emergency use.

    The country will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world’s largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers.

    According to the COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers, and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities based on evolving pandemic situation.

  • First flight carrying Covishield vaccines leaves for Delhi from Pune

    By PTI
    PUNE: The first flight carrying COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ has departed from Pune International Airport to Delhi, four days ahead of the nationwide inoculation drive launch.

    Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of the Serum Institute gates shortly before 5 am and left for Pune airport, from where the vaccines will be flown across India.

    The trucks carried 478 boxes of the vaccines, each box weighing 32 kg, a source involved in the vaccine transport arrangements told PTI.

    Good news. The Covidshield loaded trucks reached at @aaipunairport ..ready to transport to other parts of India. This will be world largest vaccination drive in India starting from Jan 16. @NewIndianXpress @Sunday_StandardPhoto courtesy @aaipunairport pic.twitter.com/k3L9RqVGLA
    — Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) January 12, 2021

    The trucks left the Serum Institute of India premises at Manjari and reached the airport, located 15 km from the facility.

    From the airport, the vaccines will be dispatched to 13 locations across the country by 10 am, the source said.

    A ‘puja’ was performed before the vehicles left the facility.

    The locations where these Covishield vaccines will be flown from Pune include Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Karnal, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guwahati, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar.

    The vaccines will be flown from Pune in eight commercial flights, including two cargo flights, the source said. The first cargo flight will cover Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Bhubaneswar and the second cargo flight will go to Kolkata and Guwahati, he added.

    The consignment for Mumbai will leave by road.

    Trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd are being used to ferry the vaccine stocks from Serum Institute.

    Among the first batch, one consignment is scheduled to be shipped by an Air India cargo flight to Ahmedabad.

    On Monday, Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel tweeted that his state will receive the first consignment of coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday at 10.45 am at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad.

    The Central government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over six crore doses of vaccines from Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech for inoculating three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the nationwide vaccination drive beginning January 16.

    Interacting with state chief ministers on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the enormity of what he called as the world’s biggest vaccination exercise, saying over 30 crore citizens will get the jabs in the next few months in India against only 2.

    5 crore people vaccinated so far in over 50 countries in around a month.

  • Serum Institute’s first Covid-19 vaccine consignments to reach 13 locations on Tuesday

    By ANI
    PUNE: The first consignment containing vials of Covishield vaccine were dispatched from the Serum Institute of India here in the early hours of Tuesday, ahead of the January 16 launch of the nationwide vaccination drive.

    Amid tight security, three trucks carrying the very first consignment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine left for Pune airport to be flown to 13 locations across the country today.

    “The first flight will leave for Delhi from Pune airport,” Sandip Bhosale, SB Logistics, the logistics team which is handling air transport of Covishield vaccine from Pune International Airport told ANI.

    ALSO READ | Serum Institute receives purchase order for 11 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from govt

    A total of eight flights- two cargo flights and other regular commercial flights will carry the vaccines, he said.

    “All vaccines will be dispatched by 10 am,” he added.

    The locations include Delhi, Karnal, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubhaneshwar, Kolkata and Guwahati.

    The first Cargo flight with the vaccines will drop off the consignment at Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Bhubhaneshwar while the second cargo flight will go to Kolkata and Guwahati.

    “The first consignment of the vaccine has been dispatched from the facility of Serum Institute of India here. We have made elaborate security arrangements,” said Namrata Patil, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DCP), Pune.

    Pune-based logistic firm Kool-ex Cold Chain tasked with ferrying the vaccine stocks via tech-enabled trucks laced with temperature control feature ranging from -25 degrees to +25 degrees Celsius.

    Serum Institute of India (SII) has received a purchase order from the Government of India for 11 million doses of Covishield vaccine, which would be available at the price of Rs 200 per dose, SII officials had said on Monday

    The first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country is starting from January 16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said: “We aim to vaccinate 30 crore people in the next few months.”

    Around 3 crore healthcare workers and frontline workers will be vaccinated in the first phase of vaccination, he added. In the second phase, those above 50 years and those under 50 years with co-morbid conditions will be vaccinated, he further said. 

  • Serum Institute receives purchase order for 11 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from govt

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Union government on Monday placed a purchase order with Serum Institute of India (SII) for 11 million doses of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, each costing Rs 210 including GST, official sources said.

    Dispatch of the vaccine is likely to start by late Monday evening, they said.

    According to the order placed, each dose of the vaccine has been priced at Rs 200 and with GST of Rs 10, it would cost Rs 210. The health ministry is also likely to soon sign a purchase order for another anti-coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, which has been indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech, a source said.

    ALSO READ | Ahead of Saturday’s Covid vaccine rollout, healthcare workers divided on getting jab

    Covishield vaccine doses would be initially shipped to 60 consignee points from where those would be distributed to various vaccination centres across India, the sources said.

    As many as 2,54,500 doses of Covishield are set to be delivered at Delhi’s central storage, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, in Tahirpur.

    The HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector undertaking, issued the supply order on behalf of the Union Health Ministry in the name of Prakash Kumar Singh, Additional Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India.

    “The Ministry of Health has nominated HLL Lifecare Limited vide letter dated January 11 as procuring agency for procurement of vaccine.

    For the purpose of this order, the Ministry of Health, Government of India is the ‘purchaser’ and HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL) is ‘procuring agency’.

    Vaccine-laden trucks will move out from Manjari location of the Pune-based SII amid elaborate police security.

    The Maharashtra government has decided to provide police security to the trucks carrying the vaccine up to airports and to the borders of the state.

    India had recently approved two vaccines, Oxford’s Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute in the country and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, for restricted emergency use.

    According to the Health Ministry, two doses of the vaccine need to be taken by an individual 28 days apart to complete the immunisation schedule.

    Protective levels of antibodies are generally developed two weeks after receiving the second dose, it has said.

    ALSO READ | PM Narendra Modi should take COVID-19 vaccine first to allay doubts: NCP

    The country will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world’s largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers.

    According to the ‘COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines”, the shots will be offered first to healthcare workers, and frontline workers and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities based on evolving pandemic situation.

  • Now, Bharat Biotech, SII pledge for smooth rollout of COVID-19 vaccines

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  After their much-publicised spat, Krishna Ella and Adar Poonawalla, head Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India respectively, issued a joint statement on Tuesday pledging their commitments towards a smooth rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in the country and the world.

    In a joint statement, the two companies noted that the most important task in front of them was saving lives and livelihoods in India and globally. “We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for the people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our vaccines,” it said.

    Sources said the statement came following a nudge from the top functionaries in the Union government. Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by SII, which has made the vaccine after technology transfer by Oxford University-AstraZeneca, have been granted restricted emergency use by the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation. 

    Poonawalla had said apart from his vaccine, vaccines by only Pfizer and Moderna had shown efficacy while other vaccines including Covaxin were only “safe, like water.” At a conference on Monday, Ella, without naming Poonawalla, said his company had carried out a 200% honest trial in the national interest, without any financial aid, and did not deserve the backlash.

    “Now that two Covid-19 vaccines have been issued EUA in India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines,” the statement said.

    It added: “Both companies respect the great work being carried out by each other and put behind us the miscommunication and misunderstanding caused during the past week.” On Tuesday, Poonawalla tweeted that there would be a statement clearing up the miscommunication.

  • Maharashtra company claims ‘Covishield’ trademark, files suit against SII

    By PTI
    PUNE: A civil court here on Tuesday issued a notice to the Serum Institute of India (SII) on a suit filed by a pharmaceutical products manufacturer and seller seeking to restrain the former from using trademark ‘Covishield’ or any other similar names for its upcoming COVID-19 vaccine.

    The Nanded-based firm, Cutis-Biotech, in its suit filed on Monday through advocate Aditya Soni, claimed it has been using the trademark ‘Covishield’ for its products like antiseptic, sanitisers, disinfectant liquid, surface de- containment spray and fruit and vegetable washing liquid since 2020.

    As per the suit, the firm filed an application for registration of ‘Covishield’ trademark on April 29, 2020, which is pending and the firm is using the trademark since May 30, 2020, for its products.

    The suit has sought an injunction against the SII from using the name ‘Covishield’ for its vaccine for the coronavirus.

    The court issued a notice to the Pune-based vaccine maker SII, seeking its response to the suit, and posted the suit for hearing on January 19.

    Cutis-Biotech added that the SII has also filed trademark applications for other names such as “COVIDOROTECT, COVID-VAC, COVI-VAC, COVI-VAXX” and thus could use any of these names for their vaccine.

    Soni said on December 7 last year, the plaintiff came across news that the SII has applied before the Drugs Controller General of India for immediate approval of the COVID-19 vaccine under the brand of “Covishield” in India.

    The suit said it was not seeking any restraint on the SII from launching the vaccine but the name should not be ‘Covishield’.

    The suit stated that the SII vaccine is yet to be launched in the market.

    “Therefore, if the injunction is issued against the defendant restraining it from using the trademark of the plaintiff (Covishield), no inconvenience is going to be caused to the vaccine maker.

    “However if the SII launches its product under the brand ‘Covishield’, injury and damage would be caused to Cutis-Biotech,” the suit said.

    Message sent to the SII seeking reaction to the suit did not elicit any response.

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk to three teams involved in developing Kovid vaccine

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks on Monday through video conferencing with the teams of the three companies involved in the vaccine being prepared for prevention of Kovid-19. It is known that the Prime Minister visited Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune on Saturday and reviewed the progress of the corona vaccine.

    According to the information, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks through video conferencing on Monday, which will include three teams, which are involved in developing the Kovid-19 vaccine. The teams the Prime Minister will interact with are Genoa Biopharma, Biological E and Dr. Reddy.

    Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune to review the progress of the Corona vaccine being developed with Kovid-19.

    Modi had tweeted that, “By visiting the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, we got information about the DNA based indigenous vaccine being developed by Joydes-Cadila.” Government of India is actively working with them to support them in this journey.

    “Right there, after visiting SII in Pune, tweeted that,” I had a good conversation with the team at Serum Institute of India. Get information about the progress of the vaccine. It was told how they are planning to speed up vaccine production further.