Cipla to sell Moderna’s anti-Covid vaccine

The government has permitted Cipla, the Mumbai-based pharmaceutical major, to import Moderna’s vaccine for limited emergency use. At present, there are three vaccines being administered in India to fight Covid-19: Oxford’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, and Russia’s Sputnik V.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has reportedly allowed Cipla in accordance with the provisions of the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

On June 27, Moderna had informed the DCGI that the US government had allowed the donation of a certain number of doses of its Covid-19 vaccine through COVAX to India.

PTI reported that Cipla was reportedly close to committing over $1 billion as advance to the US major for the import of close to 50 million doses.

“Earlier this month, Cipla had indicated its plan to fast-track approval to bring Moderna’s single-dose Covid-19 booster vaccine into India expeditiously, and that it has requested the government for indemnification and exemptions from price capping, bridging trials and basic customs duty. Cipla had not named the vaccine then,” a Hindustan Times report says.