Pfizer wants to sell vaccines in India at no profit

On May 3, 2021, Pfizer Inc. told the Indian government that there are no safety concerns regarding the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is yet to be registered in India although it had applied months ago. The government in mid-April made it easier for foreign vaccines approved in the West and Japan to sell in India. The deadly second wave and a domestic vaccine shortage have forced India to seek foreign help. But these companies would have to undertake a local clinical trial within 30 days of receiving emergency use authorization.
India has also invited Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) to sell their vaccines to the country but none have applied to do so yet. Pfizer has earlier approached CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) for restricted use permission of its Covid-19 vaccine. But on February 5, 2021, the company stepped back after CDSCO raised safety concerns. India’s drug regulator wanted Pfizer to conduct safety trials in India. In April, Pfizer offered a not-for-profit price for its vaccine for the government immunization program.
Currently, it charges $19.5 from the US government and $23 from European Union for a single dose. The drug giant said that the shots could be delivered to vaccination centers using temperature-controlled thermal shippers.
According to Pfizer:
Doses could be stored in ultra-low-temperature freezers at -70°C for up to six months
In shippers for up to 30 days by refilling them with dry ice every five days, or
in common refrigeration and freezer units for five days.