Tata in talks with Moderna over vaccine launch in India: Report

After Covishield and Covaxin, India may soon see the launch of a third COVID-19 vaccine. And this could be the one developed by US firm Moderna Inc. The Tata Group’s healthcare venture has began talks with Moderna for partnership to launch the vaccine in the country, reported the Economic Times on Monday (January 25).

The newly formed Tata Sons subsidiary, Tata Medical & Diagnostics, may team up with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct the clinical trials of Moderna vaccine in India. Local trials with Indian volunteers are necessary for foreign firms before launching their products in the country, despite their approvals in other nations.

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Moderna’s vaccine is storage-friendly and unlike Pfizer’s, which needs minus 70 degrees Celsius storage, it can be stored at normal fridge temperatures. This is a significant feature as India has limited cold chain facilities. Moderna’s vaccine has an efficacy of 94.1%, as per its late-stage study data which was released in November.

Earlier, India had approved two vaccines which are being used in its ongoing inoculation drive, the largest anywhere in the world. The two vaccines include Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, which is being produced by Pune’s Serum Institute, and Covaxin, which has been indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech and state-run ICMR.