Covid-19: This woman-run Hyderabad firm will supply vaccines to Quad countries

The vaccine initiative among the four countries revolves around Hyderabad's pharmaceutical company Biological E.

One of the key takeaways of the first Quad leaders' summit on March 12 was the formation of the Quad Vaccine Initiative, which will be a vaccine supply chain to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines for India, the United States, Japan and Australia. Hyderabad's Biological E. Limited has been chosen for this role of producing a billion doses of covid-19 vaccines, while the United States International Development Finance Corporation will provide financial assistance to Biological E.

Quad leaders in their first leaders' summit on March 12 decided to come up with a joint vaccine initiative. (Bloomberg)

Here is all you need to know about this Hyderabad-based company.

> Biological E is the world's largest producer of Tetanus vaccine and a leading supplier of snake antivenom in India.

> Biological E is a women-run business which is another reason why USDFC has chosen this company to partner with. This advances its gender equality initiative.

> The company commenced its operations in 1953 and became India's first private company to enter the vaccine business in 1962.

> Its website says it was established during the 'Swadeshi Movement' of India. At that time, it was known as Biological Products Pvt Ltd. Its founder was Dr DVK Raju. Mahima Datla, the managing director of the company, is the third generation of the family to run this business.

> In 2019, it commenced its commercial operations in the US.

> Biological E is working on four Covid-19 vaccines. It tied up with Johnson and Johnson, pharmaceutical company Dynavax Technologies Corporation, Houston-based Baylor College of Medicine and Ohio University for vaccine developments.