New Delhi. According to a big news, the Center is planning to reduce the price of 2 major vaccines of Corona (Covieshield) and Covaxin to Rs 275, for which the Center Drugs Controller General. of India (DCGI) is awaiting approval to fix regular prices. However, to keep the prices reasonable, the Modi government may also allow a service charge of Rs.150.
Significantly, according to the news published in the Economic Times, Bharat Biotech has kept the price of Covaxin at Rs 1,200 per dose under the Emergency Use Authority, while Serum Institute of India has fixed the price of Covaxin in private hospitals. The cost of Covishield has been kept at Rs.780. Where he charges a service charge of Rs 150 in the prices of these vaccines. But with regular approvals expected in the market by next month, the government is now looking at it as a solution to the pricing problem of both the vaccines.
At the same time, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has also been directed to start work towards capping prices to make vaccines affordable. According to reports, the Health Ministry has also asked both the companies to decide the fair price themselves. So, “if both the companies voluntarily offer a price less than Rs 300 per dose, then the government would not want to come in the middle of this pricing process.
Meanwhile, the Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Control Organization has started work on January 19 as a recommendation to give regular market approval to 2 vaccines. Significantly, Serum Institute of India (SII) had written a letter to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on October 2, 5, in which it had put forth its demand for regular market approval of the Kovishield vaccine.
At the same time, Bharat Biotech has also given complete information related to Covaxin to the regular market authority, in which the company has presented all the information like manufacturing and control along with chemistry, clinical and pre-clinical data to the government.