Tata HealthGroup And CSIR Could Launch Moderna COVID Vaccine In India

Tata Medical and Diagnostics are in talks with Moderna Inc to launch their COVID-19 vaccine in India. According to the reports, Tata healthcare group could team up with CSIR and are in the initial stages of their discussion with the US-based drugmaker Moderna.

Tata group and India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research will most likely team up in order to carry out clinical trials of Moderna's vaccine. The Moderna's vaccine candidate will undergo the necessary trials before it is launched in India.

Before any vaccine is launched in India, it has to go through local clinical trials and only after it is deemed safe for its citizens, will it be given the approval. In November, the reports regarding Moderna's vaccine showed safety and 94 percent effectiveness.

There was no confirmation regarding this news from Moderna. Earlier the manufacturers confirmed that according to the lab studies, their vaccine is effective against the new United Kingdom and South African COVID strain. But to be fully sure of this, the company will be doing further tests.

In the first week of January, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) provided Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to two vaccines in India. Covishield by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech.

The vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield will have to be stored between 2-8 degree celsius temperatures and administered in two doses. The Moderna vaccine can be stored at normal fridge temperatures. Such vaccines are best for the places that do not have cold chains.