No one wants to take away from India’s flair and prowess in the vaccines segment, but there should be no place for doubt when it comes to rigor in scientific and regulatory processes. Experts have raised questions around the restricted emergency use clearance of two COVID-19 vaccines in India.

Indian regulator is likely to ask Pfizer/BioNTech to conduct clinical trials before granting an accelerated approval, but recruitment could prove challenging for the COVID-19 vaccine as anaphylactic reactions in the US and UK sparks worry.

Lilly signs licensing pacts with Cipla, Sun and Lupin for baricitinib in COVID-19, with possibly more in store. But will challenger Natco, which has apparently already rolled out its cut-price version of the JAK inhibitor, change tack amid the Indian government's mixed position on compulsory licensing issues in an ongoing court case?