After hosting the visit of Prime Minister of United Kingdom Boris Johnson to its Wrexham facility in North Wales on November 30, 2020, Wockhardt Ltd. has offered its vaccine manufacturing facility in Aurangabad to the Indian government or any other vaccine developer for mass production of vaccines to counter COVID-19.
The U.K. Government has reserved one fill and finish production line at Wockhardt UK for its exclusive use for 18 months in order to guarantee the supply of vaccines required to fight against COVID-19. It has been contracted to manufacture 100 million units of Oxford vaccine being developed by AstraZenaca.
Stating that there would be demand for vaccines in India and around the world Dr. Habil Khorakiwala, founder chairman, Wockhardt Ltd., said, “We have a billion dosage capacity for both API & fill finish in India which can be used to manufacture vaccines. We can be partner with the Indian government or any vaccine developers to fight the world’s most demanding need of the hour in COVID-19.”
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He said the company will have to make minimal investment to get the facility ready to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine. He said there would be massive demand and the company can also make the drug substance for the vaccine as well besides undertaking fill and finish production.
“The facility is available and it is possible to re arrange as per requirement. We have already made 95% of the investment and we can ramp up capacity at the shortest possible time to bridge the demand and supply gap” he said in a press conference.
Currently, Wockhardt is not in the government’s list to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine for the Indian market.
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Besides the Indian government, the company is talking to some global companies who might be interested to manufacture vaccines in India.
“If any time in the future if the Indian government wants anything to be done, we can extend support,” Mr. Khorakiwala said.