The 'Heart' Of Bharat Biotech

Fondly referred to as 'heart of bharat biotech' co-founder and joint managing director suchitra ella has been handling operations, and business development at the biotechnology company with much finesse. Her expertise was on display especially during the last two years when covaxin - the covid 19 vaccine was being developed and produced on a war footing

- Rajeshwari Kalyanam

In India, over 56 % of the population; more than 78 crore Indians have been fully vaccinated against Covid 19. Playing major role in this vaccine success story is Dr Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director, Bharat Biotech International Ltd. The company developed indigenous Covid 19 vaccine, Covaxin, which Dr Krishna Ella, Managing Director, said is 'true success story of public-private partnership.'

Story of Covaxin:

When Corona pandemic broke, the entire medical and scientific community set upon the task of formulating an antidote - a vaccine. Bharat Biotech reached out to ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) to share isolated strains of the virus in order to do research. The company was going to embark upon the journey of creating an indigenous Covid 19 vaccine. The biotechnology company has already developed vaccines for influenza H1N1, Rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, Chikungunya, Zika and the world's first tetanus toxoid conjugated vaccine for Typhoid, for the past 25 years.

This time the lockdown and urgency were going to be additional challenges. A group of senior scientists from the company went from Hyderabad to Pune by road to bring back strains of SARS-CoV-2 virus frozen at -70 degree Celsius in the absence of proper logistic operators.

And, the rest is history. Amidst, adulation, criticism and bouquets and brickbats Bharat Biotech developed Covaxin based on 'Inactivated Vero Cell Platform Technology, one of the old tried, tested and proved technology, under stringent levels of GMP and biosafety'.