Beximco signs deal with Serum Institute of India for COVID-19 vaccines

Beximco Pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh announced investment in the Serum Institute of India (SII) for priority access to COVID-19 vaccines being developed by the Indian pharma manufacturer.

The deal announced by Beximco comes after Dhaka said this month it was ready to hold trials of candidate vaccines being developed by India as both countries seek to curb the spread of the virus.

“The investment amount will be treated as an advance and once the vaccine receives regulatory approvals, SII will include Bangladesh among the countries who will be the first to receive an agreed quantity of this vaccine from SII on a priority basis,” Beximco said in a statement.

It did not give details about the size of the investment in SII nor how many vaccines Beximco might receive.

“This landmark agreement reflects the deep-rooted desire for collaboration between the two countries and as representatives of the two nations, between us we can go a long way towards helping to mitigate the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the heads of both companies said in the statement.

It said Beximco would be the exclusive supplier in Bangladesh for the vaccine being developed by SII and that the Bangladeshi company would discuss with the government the number of doses it wants. Beximco will also secure additional doses to be distributed to the private pay market in Bangladesh.