US biotechnology firm Ocugen Inc has entered into a revised agreement with the Indian vaccine innovator Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) to expand the US firm’s exclusive territory of commercialisation of Covaxin, a Covid-19 vaccine of the Indian vaccine maker, to Mexico.
The amended agreement is for the co-development, supply, and commercialisation of Covaxin, providing Ocugen Inc with the commercialisation rights on Covaxin for all of North America, according to a joint press statement on April 18. Ocugen Inc currently has rights on Covaxin for the United States and Canada.
The Mexican authorities have made conquering the COVID-19 pandemic a major priority, said Ocugen Inc co-founder and chief executive officer Dr Shankar Musunuri, adding that they met Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, in Delhi.
“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 help their efforts,” said Dr Shankar Musunuri, viewing that Covaxin can be an ideal vaccination option for Mexico at this stage of the pandemic.
Bharat Biotech chairman and managing director Dr Krishna Ella said, “Covaxin is a safe and efficacious inactivated vaccine for all age groups as evident from its data from the global introduction.” Ella said the Indian vaccine innovator was fully supportive of team Ocugen in its endeavour to expedite technology transfer activities towards commercial-scale manufacturing of Covaxin in North America.
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, said the joint media statement.
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