An agreement has been signed between Technology Development Board (TDB), of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Sapigen Biologix, Hyderabad, helmed by Dr Krishna Ella of Bharat Biotech for the development & commercialization of two novel vaccines – “Intranasal Covid-19Vaccine and RTS, S Malaria Vaccine”

Under the agreement, Technology Development Board and Bharat Biotech have pledged the support of Rs.200 crore each to create a continuous corpus of Rs.400 crores for the development and commercialization of two novel vaccines –Intranasal Covid-19 Vaccine” and “RTS, S Malaria Vaccine”. The company aims to set up a state-of-the-art cGMP facility in Bhubaneswar, in compliance with the latest global standards, for manufacturing Intranasal Covid-19 vaccine and (RTS, S) Malaria vaccine initially and later expand the product portfolio by adding other vaccines. The two vaccines to be developed and commercialized are :-
A: Nasal Coronavirus vaccine: In contrast to the Intramuscular (IM) coronavirus vaccine currently in use, the intranasal vaccine can generate mucosal immune response thereby protecting both the upper and lower respiratory system of a vaccinated individual and break the cycle of infection and transmission. The present project uses the technology platform developed by Washington University, School of Medicine in St Louis for the SARS-COV-2 chimpanzee adenovirus in inactivate or killed virus form.
This platform has several advantages: These vaccines express surface antigens that retain their epitope conformations to play an important role in inducing strong preventative humoral responses especially with reference to SARS-CoV-2. Scaling up is relatively easier. Easy delivery (single dose of 0.1 ml as against 2 doses of 0.5 ml each of I-generation vaccines). It can be administered even by an untrained health worker and self-immunization is also possible, No requirement of syringe, needle, or alcohol swabs. Safer to use. 
B: RTS, S Malaria vaccine: In view of the public health potential, World Health Organization WHO’s top advisory bodies for malaria and immunization have jointly recommended the phased introduction of the vaccine in selected areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Three countries – Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi – began introducing the vaccine in selected areas of moderate and high malaria transmission in 2019. Vaccinations are being provided through each country’s routine immunization program. As per the forecast of GAVI, the demand for malaria vaccines would be 75 million doses by 2035.
Both the vaccines are novel and will come under the ambit of commercial production for the first time.
The company aims to produce 100 million doses/annum of intranasal Covid-19 vaccine by April 2023 and 15 million doses/ annum RTS, S Malaria vaccine by the end of April 2025.
On this occasion, Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB said that this will be a continuous corpus and the idea has been translated into reality today.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that today, within only a couple of years of the pandemic, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has been able to develop its own indigenous vaccines. It has also shown the technology absorption capacity to support manufacturing of nearly all the Covid-19 vaccines that have been developed, that too in a cost-effective manner, thus emerging as the “pharmacy of the world”. As of March 2021, India exported 5.84 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines to 70 countries. This has been possible due to the availability of low-cost skilled manpower and a well-established manufacturing ecosystem.