Mumbai: Pune based Serum Institute, the world’s largest manufacturer by volume, has set a ceiling price of $ 3 per dose for the proposed Covid- 19 vaccine for India and low- and middle- income countries. The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation will provide at-risk funding of $ 115 million to Gaby (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), which will be used support Serum to manufacture potential vaccine candidates, including the ones from UK firm AstraZeneca, and US Bio-tech company Nova Vacs.

Significantly, the ceiling price is only for vaccines proposed to be distributed to 92 countries under the Covax alliance, co-led by Gavi, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and World Health Organization, formed to accelerate development of Covid- 19 vaccines and ensure their rapid and equitable access. The company on Friday entered into a partnership with Gavi and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the manufacture and delivery of upto 100 million doses for these countries.

Of this, upto 50 million doses are expected to be made available in India alone said sources. Besides, India is also expected to get up to 50% of the one billion doses from AstraZeneca and apart of the one billion doses from Nova Vacs, as part of their agreement with Serum Institute. Through the partnership, the company will accelerate manufacture and delivery of upto 100 million doses as part of agreement for India and LMICs, as early as the first half-of 2021, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute said. The collaboration will provide upfront capital to Serum to increase manufacturing capacity, so that once a vaccine gains regulatory approval and WHO pre- qualification, does can be produced at a scale for distribution to India and LMICs.

Doses are expected to be allocated on a proportional basis across 92 countries and in accordance with WHO’s global allocation frame work.