Ocugen gets rights to produce Covaxin in Mexico, covers all of North America
Rose Nor
US-based biotechnology company and Indian pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech announced that they have entered into an amended agreement to expand Ocugen's exclusive territory to include the commercialisation of India-made Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine in Mexico.
The agreement gives Ocugen the commercialisation rights to Covaxin for all of North America, explained the firms in a joint statement. Ocugen already has the commercialisation rights to Covaxin for US and Canada. "We're excited to commercialize COVAXIN in Mexico, as authorities there have made conquering this pandemic a major priority... we are encouraged by the role COVAXIN can play in Mexico's continuing efforts to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, said Dr Shankar Musunuri, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Ocugen, Inc.
Musunuri added that Covaxin is currently under review by COFEPRIS (Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios) for emergency use among children between 2 and 18 years of age, and Ocugen is prepared to collaborate with the public health community to aid their efforts. Further, commenting on the development, Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech, said, "We are delighted to announce our partnership with Ocugen for Mexico, along with the United States and Canada. COVAXIN is a safe and efficacious inactivated vaccine for all age groups as evident from its data from global introduction. We are fully supportive of team Ocugen in our endeavor to expedite technology transfer activities towards commercial scale manufacturing of COVAXIN in North America".
The firms believe that Covaxin can be an ideal vaccination option for Mexico at this stage of the pandemic. As a whole virion, inactivated vaccine, it elicits robust cellular immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern, they noted. The companies further added that Covaxin offers logistical advantages that could support vaccine access in hard-to-reach communities. The license extension between Ocugen and Bharat Biotech with respect to commercialisation in Mexico includes the same profit share structure as in the United States.
