Gennova's mRNA Omicron booster shot in India to be available at Rs 2,292

Union Minister Jitendra Singh launching Gemcovac-OM, the m-RNA booster shot by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals.

Gemcovac-OM, the Omicron-specific mRNA-based booster vaccine developed by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, will be available in the market at Rs 2,292 per dose, according to the company founders on June 24.

"Gemcovac-OM, the mRNA booster vaccine for Omicron, has been priced at Rs 2,292. It will be available in private hospitals. It is the world's first intradermal needle-free COVID-19 vaccine," said Sanjay Singh, CEO of Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, speaking to MoneyControl.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched the mRNA booster vaccine, which recently received emergency use authorization from the Drug Controller General of India.

The company founders informed Moneycontrol that the indigenous mRNA vaccine for Omicron will be available shortly in private hospitals.

"We are on high alert for COVID-19; it's not over yet. We have over 12 lakh doses of GEMCOVAC-OM cleared by the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL)," added Singh.

Also read: GEMCOVAC-19, India's first mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, and how it scores over Pfizer, Moderna

The founders stated that the mRNA vaccine was developed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with funding support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

Singh mentioned that the vaccine developed by Gennova is based on the most advanced mRNA platform, which he referred to as a 'pandemic-ready platform'.

"By utilizing this technology, we can accelerate the pace of vaccine development in India. In the future, through the rapid vaccine development program, we can further reduce the time required to bring out a new vaccine," added the CEO of Gennova.

When asked about the prospects of uptake for a booster dose of the mRNA vaccine, considering the tepid response observed in the country, another Gennova official mentioned that they have pending requests from some foreign countries for exporting this vaccine.

Also read: Gennova gets DCGI’s nod for developing Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine

"Our initial focus will be on major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. In these cities, we estimate that around 1.4 million eligible individuals have not yet received vaccination," said the official, requesting anonymity.

The Gennova officials did not specify the timeline for the vaccine to be included in the national CoWIN portal.

The government officials present during the vaccine launch did not specify if the central government would procure these advanced mRNA vaccines.

Gemcovac-OM, the lyophilized (powdered) vaccine produced by the Pune-based company, does not require sub-optimal storage temperatures and can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. In contrast, the vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna need to be stored at temperatures as low as -80 degrees Celsius.