Bharat Biotech
Don't accuse us of inexperience, we are a global company: Bharat Biotech Chairman to critics of Covaxin
New Delhi/IBNS: Chairman of Bharat Biotech- whose coronavirus vaccine Covaxin has been permitted for "restricted use in an emergency situation in public interest"- on Monday hit out at its critics and said 'don't accuse us of inexperience.'
Addressing a virtual press briefing on Monday evening, Dr Krishna Ella said his company carried out "200 per cent honest clinical trials," adding that "we don't deserve this backlash."
Stressing that they have all transparent data, Dr. Ella said: "Don't accuse us of inexperience. We are a global company... have manufactured 16 vaccines. It is not correct to say we are not transparent with data. We conduct clinical trials in many countries, including the UK. The point is we are not an Indian company... but a global one."
"We have published in a lot of journals. We were the first to identify the Zika virus and the first to file a global patent for the Zika vaccine and the Chikungunya vaccine. It is not correct to say that we are not transparent with data... we don't deserve the backlash," he added.
He said the company had "the only BSL-3 (bio-safety level 3) production facility in the world".
Ella also took an indirect dig at a remark by Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla who told NDTV on Sunday that: "... only three vaccines with proven efficacy - Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca. Everything else... safe, just like water."
Without naming Poonawalla, the Bharat Biotech chairman said: "We do 200 per cent honest clinical trials and yet we receive backlash. If I am wrong, tell me. Some companies have branded me like 'water'. I want to deny that. We are scientists."
"How did another Indian company get license based on UK data? I will not name them. But we have conducted trials in India, but we are not being given," he added
Two Covid-19 vaccine candidates-Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and the Serum Institute of India's Covishield-on Sunday received the approval of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use in India.
Drug Controller General of India VG Somani had said both firms submitted data based on their trial runs and both have been granted permission for "restricted use".
"We'll never approve anything if there is slightest of safety concern. The vaccines are 100 per cent safe," Somani had said at a media briefing.
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