The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee (PDVAC) yesterday selected Biological E (Bio E) as a recipient of mRNA technology from the WHO technology transfer hub, after reviewing a number of proposals from India, a statement from WHO notified.
WHO and partners will work with the Indian government and Bio E to develop a roadmap and put in place the necessary training and support so that the company can start producing mRNA vaccines as soon as possible, the statement said.
Bio E already manufactures a number of critical vaccines, including Corbevax, a second-generation vaccine for COVID-19, it added.
Primarily set up to address the COVID-19 emergency, the hub has the potential to expand manufacturing capacity for other products as well, including treatments, and target other priorities such as malaria, HIV and cancer, the statement concluded.