Tata Medical & Diagnostics, a new unit of Tata Sons to launch COVID-19 vaccine in India

Tata Medical & Diagnostics, a new unit of Tata Sons, has begun talks with US-based Moderna to form a partnership and launch its vaccine against COVID-19 in India.

The company may partner with the Centre's Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct clinical trials of Moderna's jab, The Economic Times reported.

Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI is a part of the World Health Organization's COVAX facility, which aims to ensure fair distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus among countries.

"The requirement for vaccines in India will be huge and the Tata Group has a strong brand equity in the country to gain people's trust and confidence by following approved guidelines for vaccines," a source told the publication.

India has begun its immunisation programme against COVID-19 with two vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin. The government plans to inoculate 300 million (30 crore) people by August 2021.

Covishield, manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), is the vaccine developed by British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Foreign companies are required to conduct bridge trials on Indian volunteers, even if they have been approved outside.