Bharat Biotech includes ICMR as co-owner of COVAXIN patent
Bharat Biotech International (BBIL), a Hyderabad-based biotech company, has added the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as a co-owner to the patent for their COVID-19 vaccine, COVAXIN. This decision follows an initial oversight where BBIL failed to include ICMR in their patent application, causing controversy. The company attributed this omission to the urgency of developing vaccines and filing necessary patents during the pandemic.
Bharat Biotech acknowledges ICMR's significant contribution
The COVAXIN vaccine was developed collaboratively by Bharat Biotech, ICMR, and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. BBIL acknowledged the substantial support it received from ICMR, including assistance with the SARS CoV2 virus, animal research, test kits, viral characterization, and partial financing for clinical trial locations. The company expressed its respect for ICMR and gratitude for the continuous support on various projects.
Legal process initiated to rectify patent omission
In response to the inadvertent omission, BBIL has initiated the process to rectify it by including ICMR as co-owner of the patent applications for COVID-19 vaccine. The company stated that such omissions are "not uncommon for the patent office therefore Patent Law provides provisions to rectify such mistakes." The necessary legal documents are being prepared and will be submitted to the patent office once they are signed and ready.
COVAXIN's significant role in India's vaccination drive
To date, a total of 220 crore vaccines have been administered in India, out of which 36.4 crore were BBIL's COVAXIN. This action aligns with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ICMR-NIV Pune and BBIL for joint development of the COVID-19 vaccine in April 2020. The inclusion of ICMR as a co-owner on the patent further solidifies this partnership and acknowledges its significant contribution to the vaccine's development.
