Biovet, Associate Firm Of Bharat Biotech, To Make Pune Plant 'Functional' By August-End

Bharat Biotech Pune plant to be functional by August: An application filed by Karnataka's Biovet Private Limited seeking direction to the Maharashtra government to hand over possession of the manufacturing unit at Manjari Khurd village in Pune has been approved.

After considering the COVID-19 situation in India, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Biovet will make the plant at Manjari "fully functional” in order to increase vaccine production by August-end, a senior administration official has confirmed. The Bombay High Court recently gave a nod to the associate firm to start on the proposal and use the vaccine manufacturing plant in Pune for a better inoculation drive in the nation.

Backed by the makers of Covaxin, one of the two approved vaccines in use in India as of now, Biovet is now evaluating the structures and facilities available at the plant. According to the team making vaccines is a very "sophisticated and sensitive" subject and the process is "absolutely scientific". The court has mandated the company to proceed with their work on a 12-hectare fully operational plant at Manjari to produce Covaxin.

It has a "ready infrastructure", said Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao who visited the plant on Wednesday, PTI reported."

"I do not think there is any need to create any infrastructure to start production. Everything is in place," the divisional commissioner added.

Biovet officials have promised that within a week. "They are confident of making the plant fully functional by the end of August and roll out the first batch of the vaccine," Rao said.

Earlier in March, Bharat Biotech, Biovet and Sapigen Biologix signed a collaborative research agreement with CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) to collaborate on the development of novel platform technologies for bio-therapeutics and vaccines. Their agenda was to support affordable healthcare solutions for humans and animals.