Telangana Govt Seeks Clarity On Covid-19 Vaccine

HYDERABAD, 7 AUG 2020:

State government urged the Centre to formulate clear guidelines on development and licensing of Covid-19 vaccine besides decentralising the authority to fast-track testing and approvals.

Industries minister KT Rama Rao, in a letter to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday, also urged the Centre to constitute a high-level committee with representation from the Centre, key state government officials and industries to formulate a strategic plan to expedite the development of vaccine from India. He also urged the Centre to have a robust procurement policy in consultation with the industry to ensure vaccine availability and its equitable distribution.

“FDA and WHO have already published the guidelines on developing and licensing the Covid-19 vaccine. There is a need for similar guidelines in India,” KTR said.

The minister said the Centre had allocated Rs 100 crore from the PM CARES Fund to provide funding support for indigenous vaccine development and urged the Centre to expedite the guidelines so that funds could be released to indigenous vaccine manufacturers.

He said the industry had been facing issues such as decentralisation of authority for fast-tracking testing and approvals for vaccines, development and licensing of the vaccine, expediting approval for clinical trials, manufacturing and procurement policy.

“Presently, all vaccines are sent to the Central Drug Laboratory in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. Due to Covid-19, companies have struggled with logistics and have not been able to send the sample batches of vaccines to CDL. CDSCO has a zonal office along with a sophisticated drug-testing lab in Hyderabad, which can be delegated more powers,” he said.

He said there are six different ministries at the central and state level — ministries of health, animal Husbandry, science and technology, commerce, environment and forest, GoI and ministry of health at the state government — that give approvals for vaccines. “India needs to have a regulatory framework that can hold good for global competition and ensure quality with speed,” the letter read. The Times Of India