Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is in favour of withdrawing the Covaxin patient to the Bharat Biotech.
Jagan wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, in which he wanted the Central government to “transfer the manufacturing technology of Covaxin.”
The AP chief minister said that the Bharati Biotech had manufactured the Covaxin in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).
Stating that the Bharat Biotech is not able to manufacture the vaccine in the required quantity and the vaccine being an emergency requirement of the nation, Jagan Mohan Reddy requested the Prime Minister to transfer the manufacturing technology of the vaccine.
He further wanted the Central government to encourage more number of manufacturers of the vaccine so as to meet the emergency requirement of the nation.
He emphasised the need to increase the vaccine manufacturing capacity of the nation particularly in the light of the increasing cases.
Since the ICMR and the NIV have their presence in the manufacturing of the vaccine, it is for the Central government now to withdraw the Patent right given to the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.
It is to be seen what the Prime Minister would do and how the Bharat Biotech would respond to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s letter.