Wockhardt plans tie-ups for next-gen Covid-19 vax, aims to make 2 bn doses

Company aims to make 2 billion doses of vaccines in 1 to 2 years

Mumbai-headquartered drug maker Wockhardt, which has injectables plants in India and the UK, is crafting a three-pronged strategy for developing a Covid-19 vaccine portfolio.

While the transfer of technology for one foreign Covid-19 vaccine is underway, the company is also in talks with two more overseas manufacturers for collaboration on the already-approved vaccines. Besides, it is also in discussions with research-driven companies that are in clinical stages of developing next-generation Covid vaccines. These could be oral or nasal.

The firm did not divulge the names, but said an announcement was likely in the next two to three weeks with regard to a tie-up for making around 500 million doses.

Habil Khorakiwala, founder-chairman and group CEO of Wockhardt, told Business Standard that the company aims to make 2 billion doses of Covid vaccines and drug substances to make at least 500 million doses of vaccines in India alone over the next one or two years.

The company is in talks with the government of India to facilitate contract deals for manufacturing Covid vaccines. “We will supply Covid-19 vaccines to the Indian government at affordable rates. Moreover, we will supply vaccines to the Centre and states at the same rate,” Khorakiwala said.

In terms of creating capacity to make Covid vaccines, Wockhardt has ambitious plans. “We have SEZ (special economic zone) land in Chennai. We can set up a vaccine or sterile injectables plant there if we see demand. We are also re-purposing our existing facility (at Aurangabad) with significant investment to make the API or drug substance for 500 million vaccine doses,” he said.

Wockhardt already has fill and finish capacity for 1 billion doses at its Aurangabad site, and claims that since it has been working on yeast-based technologies and some protein products, it has the know-how required to make vaccines.

Khorakiwala said if things worked out, Wockhardt might collaborate to conduct phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in India.

Apart from India, Wockhardt owns plants in the UK and Ireland. The UK plant is already making the AstraZeneca vaccine for the UK government. Its capacity utilisation is around 40 per cent or so at the moment, and thus the company plans to make another vaccine at that site in the later part of this year.