In a boost for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, the Association of Healthcare Providers (India), also called AHPI, is said to be close to striking a deal for procuring United States (US)-based Johnson & Johnson (J&J)'s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine for launch in the Indian market, reports Economic Times.

AHPI, a body that represents small and medium hospitals, expects the vaccine supplies to be delivered early next month. This will make J&J's COVID-19 vaccine the first to be developed by a US-based company which will also be available in India.

While J&J is offering to supply its vaccine to AHPI for $25 (approximately Rs 1,875) per dose, AHPI is still negotiating. Also, it should be noted that the initial supply will be small, though it could be gradually scaled up.

AHPI's director-general Girdhar Gyani said that under the new guidelines, vaccines that have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the regulatory authorities of the US, United Kingdom, European Union or Japan, are cleared by the Indian authorities within four days.

Gyani added, "We are hopeful that the regulatory clearances won’t take much time, given that the drug regulator has made it easy."