Cipla is reportedly leading the pack to acquire business divisions of debt-laden Wockhardt in a transaction that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars and would boost the Mumbai-based company’s domestic presence.

In-licensing and co-marketing/co-promotion deals are on the up in India, as local and foreign companies tango together to reach more patients and expand their business in the country's competitive market. Lupin-Boehringer, Dr Reddy’s-UCB and Glenmark-Helsinn are among the recent companies doing deals in the area.

India has rolled out draft guidelines for development of vaccines with special focus on COVID-19 vaccines, drawing from those of other regulatory bodies and the WHO. Experts suggest the primary efficacy endpoint of minimum 50% is acceptable given that vaccines against respiratory diseases are difficult to develop though not necessarily enough to snuff out a pandemic.