Government readies two more labs for Covid-19 vaccine testing

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Two more Central Drug Laboratories have been readied at Pune and Hyderabad for Covid vaccine testing, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and considering the enhanced production of Covid vaccines, the government said on Sunday.

According to a Science & Technology Ministry statement, the facility at the National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, has now been notified as a Central Drugs Laboratory for testing and lot release of Covid-19 vaccines, through a gazette notification issued by the Health & Family Welfare Ministry on June 28.

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The facility at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad is likely to receive necessary notification shortly, it said. "With generous support from PM CARES Fund trust in a very short span of time, both the institutions, through relentless efforts, have set up the state-of-the-art modern facilities for this purpose.

"The facilities are expected to test approx 60 batches of vaccines per month. The facilities are geared up to test existing Covid-19 vaccines and other newer Covid-19 vaccines as per demand of the nation. This will not only expedite the vaccine manufacture and supply but also be logistically convenient considering that both Pune and Hyderabad are the two vaccine manufacturing hubs," the statement said.

Currently, India has a Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) at Kasauli, which is the National Control Laboratory for testing and pre-release certification of immunobiologicals (vaccines and antisera) meant for human use in India. The Department of Biotechnology, under the Science & Technology Ministry, now has set up facilities in its autonomous research institutes, the NCCS, and the NIAB, for batch testing and quality control of vaccines.

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