INDIA & BANGLADESH COME TOGETHER FOR NEW VACCINE; PLAN TO GET PRIORITY ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINES 

After COVID-19 vaccine deal with China, Bangladesh's leading pharma company Beximco has announced to invest in Adar Poonawalla's Serum India Limited (SIL) for development of the vaccine.    

As per a Hindustan Times report, the size of the investment has not been disclosed but will depend on SIL's priority supply commitment to Beximco Pharma Ltd (BPL). 

As per a BPL statement, this deal will ensure that Bangladesh is among the first countries to receive an agreed quantity of this vaccine from SII on a priority basis. The investment will be treated as an advance for the vaccine.

"We at Beximco have been able to guarantee that once the vaccine is globally registered, Bangladesh will be one of the first countries to use it. It is a sign of the depth of relationship not just between Serum India and Beximco, but also between the two countries," BPL principal Shayan F Rahman told NDTV.

The deal between the two companies was announced on August 28. Meanwhile, SIL is currently conducting Phase 3 trials for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (AZD1222) -- an adenovirus vector-based vaccine, that will also undergo large scale phase III trials in Brazil, US and the UK.