A safe and effective vaccine against the new coronavirus may be available in India by January 2021, says Adar Poonawalla, executive director (CEO) of the Serum Institute of India. The Pune-based drugmaker teamed up with major British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca to produce the coronavirus vaccine for low- and middle-income countries, developed by the University of Oxford. Nicknamed Covishield, the vaccine is currently in phase II / III clinical trial in the country. “Based on the success of the trials in India and the UK, and if the approvals from the regulatory bodies are in place in time, we can expect the vaccine to be available in India by January 2021, only if it is immunogenic and proven effective. , Poonawalla said in an interview with mint.
“The current data related to the trials shows that there are no immediate concerns related to Covishield,” Poonawalla added. “So far, thousands of people have had it in India and abroad with no security concerns,” he further explained. However, it will take two to three years to determine the long-term effects of the vaccine, he said.
The COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca, is one of the most advanced candidates in the race against the novel coronavirus. The recombinant viral vector vaccine elicits an immune response in both young adults and adults, data published in October showed. The COVID-19 vaccine produced a dual immune response in people aged 18 to 55, according to a report published in the British medical journal, The lancet. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have said that a two-dose regimen showed more promise, while a single-dose injection is also being tested in trials.
COVID-19 Vaccine: How Much Will It Cost?
On the price of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine in the country, Poonawalla said: “We are in discussions with the government about the price. We are confident that it will be affordable for everyone.”
Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, is aiming to initially manufacture around 60-70 million doses and stretch it up to 100 million doses of the vaccine per month, the CEO said, adding: “We should be able get there over the next few months. “
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will provide $ 150 million in risk funds to support the manufacture of two promising vaccines by the University of Oxford and Novavax by the IBS, on the condition that the Pune-based drugmaker fixes the price of the two vaccines at a maximum of $ 3 per dose.
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