According to Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, the Centre has sanctioned funds from the PMCares Fund for the establishment of a vaccine-testing laboratory here.

A Lok Sabha member from Secunderabad tweeted to thank PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji for sanctioning funds for the setting up of the Vaccine Testing Lab in Hyderabad. It is a big step forward towards the comprehensive development of the pharma sector in Hyderabad, which will also boost the production of COVID-9 vaccines.

Reddy said at the press meet that the increased focus on vaccine production in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the establishment of more vaccine-testing laboratories in the country. He said the country currently has two vaccine-testing laboratories: the Central Drug Laboratory in Kasauli and the National Institute of Biologicals in Noida.

On March 6, funds from the PM CARES Fund were released to the Department of Biotechnology for the establishment of two more such laboratories, one at the National Centre for Cell Science in Pune and the other at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology in Hyderabad, he said.

According to him, the laboratory in Hyderabad is expected to open by next month. Because Hyderabad is home to many pharma majors, COVID-19 vaccine production companies, and other R & D institutions, the establishment of the new laboratory is a significant step toward the comprehensive development of the pharma sector in the city, he said.