Aurobindo Pharma takes a step forward to cure COVID-19; collaborates with US company COVAXX

On Thursday, Aurobindo Pharma, a leading pharma company, signed an exclusive agreement with COVAXX, a US-based company for developing and commercialising COVID-19 vaccine i.e. UB-612, the first multitope peptide-based vaccine to fight COVID-19, for India and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) agency. 

COVAXX seems to have been conducting a phase 1 clinical trial for the vaccine candidate. For the first time, Aurobindo will be developing the first-ever synthetic peptide-based vaccine to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccine is studied to have immense potential in eliminating shedding and thus, helping to constrain the spread of the virus. 

According to the agreement, Aurobindo Pharma has obtained the rights to develop, manufacture & sell COVAXX's UB-612 vaccine in India as well as to UNICEF. It has non-exclusive rights in other selected emerging and developing markets. The finished doses of this vaccine will be manufactured by the company in Hyderabad.  

Aurobindo has a huge capacity of manufacturing 220 million doses in multi-dose presentation and is planning to build additional facilities to have a total capacity of nearly 480 million doses by June 2021. COVAXX is determined to develop vaccines, prioritising the markets where the demands are unmet. In order to democratise health worldwide, it wishes to partner with leading industry players, having the strongest capabilities of execution and investment in vaccines like Aurobindo. 

Aurobindo Pharma is a leading pharmaceutical company, mainly engaged in producing oral and injectable generic formulations & active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).  

Aurobindo Pharma was trading at Rs 885.50 at 11.26 am, which is down by 0.49 per cent despite the news. It has a 52-week high of Rs 967.60 and a 52-week low of Rs 281.15 on BSE.