The Telangana Chief Minister on September 9 said his government was ensuring that Telangana, as the home state, gets priority in supply of COVID-19 vaccine as and when it is manufactured by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.

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He told the state Assembly that the government will talk to the company and will ensure that Telangana gets priority. "We will talk to Bharat Biotech. Definitely, it's a home state and if vaccines are made here, we will get first priority. There should be no doubt. We are ensuring this," he said.

The Chief Minister gave the assurance when the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader raised the issue during a discussion on the COVID situation in the state. Stating that Phase-2 clinical trials of Bharat Biotech's vaccine have started, the leader said Telangana should have some share if the vaccine is produced here. "The work is being done here. Telangana should have some share," he said.

The leader lauded the research being done by Bharat Biotech and said the company placed Hyderabad on the world health map. India's first indigenous coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, has successfully completed Phase-1 trials and the Centre has given its approval for Phase-2 trials. The vaccine is likely to be launched in early 2021.

Bharat Biotech had announced on June 29 that it successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The indigenous, inactivated vaccineAcandidate has been developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's high containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad.