Brazil‘s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) terminated this Saturday the request for emergency use of the Indian vaccine against COVID-19 Covaxin after the laboratory responsible for the immunizing agent, Bharat Biotech, broke ties with its representative in Brazil.

“The decision was taken a day after Anvisa decided, for the same reason, to suspend the vaccine’s clinical studies in the country. Necessidade no longer has the authorization to represent Bharat in Brazil. Bharat is the manufacturer of the Covaxin vaccine,” said Anvisa in a statement. The decision was taken a day after Anvisa decided, for the same reason, to suspend the vaccine’s clinical studies in the country.

Negotiations for the purchase of Covaxin by the Ministry of Health became the target of COVID’s Inquiry Committee in the Brazilian Senate due to suspected irregularities, which led the Ministry to suspend the contract to purchase the immunizing agent. The purchase of doses of the Indian vaccine would have cost BRL 1.6 billion.

According to Reuters, Bharat Biotech claims to have offered the Covaxin vaccine directly to the Brazilian government at US$15 per dose, which would be the lowest international sale price practiced by the laboratory and stated that it has no involvement with problems of Necessidade in Brazil.