Ocugen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing gene therapies to cure blindness diseases and developing a vaccine to save lives from COVID-19, has announced that it has selected Jubilant HollisterStier of Spokane, Washington as its manufacturing partner for COVAXIN to prepare for potential commercial manufacturing of COVAXIN for the US and Canadian markets.

Jubilant HollisterStier, a part of Jubilant Pharma Limited, is an integrated contract manufacturer of sterile injectables, ophthalmics, otics, sterile and non-sterile topicals and liquids.

“We are pleased to partner with Ocugen and support the ongoing fight against COVID-19. With two facilities in North America working to manufacture multiple COVID-19 vaccines and therapies, we remain committed to supporting efforts to eradicate this global pandemic,” stated Pramod Yadav, CEO Jubilant Pharma Limited.

COVAXIN studies show potential effectiveness against three key variants of SARS-CoV-2. Scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology, using an in-vitro plaque reduction neutralization assay, have found that COVAXIN-vaccinated sera effectively neutralized the Brazil variant of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.128.2, the alpha variant, B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, as well as the delta variant, B.1.617, which was first identified in India. These studies suggest that COVAXIN vaccination may be effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants.