The Centre has sanctioned funds from the PMCares Fund for setting up a vaccine-testing laboratory in Hyderabad, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said.
The increased focus on vaccine production against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated more vaccine-testing laboratories in the country, Reddy said in a press release. At present, there are two vaccine-testing laboratories in the country — the Central Drug Laboratory at Kasauli and the National Institute of Biologicals at Noida, he said.
Funds have been released from the PMCARES Fund on March 6 for establishing two more such laboratories — one at National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, and the other at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, under the Department of Biotechnology, he said. The laboratory in Hyderabad is expected to commence operations in the next one month, he said.
The setting up of the new laboratory is a big step towards the comprehensive development of the pharma sector in Hyderabad as the city is home to many pharma majors, COVID-19 vaccine production companies and other R&D institutions, he said. It would also boost the production of COVID-19 vaccines, Reddy said.
(Edits by EP News Bureau)