Bharat Biotech Chairperson Krishna Ella said that Covaxin is safe and the firm has conducted 200 per cent clinical trials. He also stated that the company does not deserve the backlash it is receiving in the light of the India's drugs regulator granting its vaccine approval for emergency use.

The remarks came due to incessant criticism against giving emergency use approval to its vaccine candidate.

"Don't accuse us of inexperience. We are a global company... have manufactured 16 vaccines," he said. He also mentioned that "200 per cent honest" clinical trials were conducted. Ella said the company conducts clinical trials not only in India but also many other countries. His comments assume significance as Covaxin has been given an emergency approval despite allegedly only two of the required three trial phases being completed. However, Ella pointed at the number of journal articles Bharat Biotech published and claimed that it was the first to identify Zika virus and file a patent for Zika and Chikungunya viruses.

Bharat Biotech was the only company to have a Bio Safety Level 3 (BSL- 3) production facility, he noted. "We do 200 per cent honest clinical trials and yet we receive a backlash. If I am wrong, tell me. Some companies have branded me 'water'. I want to deny that. We are scientists," he said.

The Congress recently expressed worries over Covaxin as it had not yet completed the phase 3 trials but got restricted emergency use approval. The Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor also tweeted saying that the "approval was premature and could be dangerous".

(With inputs from IANS)