Serum Institute of India, Pune became the second company after Pfizer to apply for an emergency use authorization for its trial vaccine, the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine (called COVISHIELD) in the country. The vaccine is currently undergoing phase III testing in India and other parts of the world.
The news, which came out yesterday (December 6), follows the promise made by IBS CEO Adar Poonawalla to have a vaccine ready by 2020.
Citing its strong efficacy rates, Poonawalla made the statement on social media, adding that if approvals are met on time, this will be the first COVID vaccine made in India and one of the first vaccines to gain such rapid approvals in the country. . The move will help meet medical needs in the nation, which has seen about 96 lakh of infections in recent months.
The news follows after a possible violation discovered during phase II / III trials in Chennai prompted a volunteer to seek compensation, citing neurological damage and calling the vaccine unsafe for use. However, the case was soon dismissed after the DGCI conducted observational studies and found no conclusive evidence.
Covishield, which is the vaccine developed by the Oxford-Astrazeneca scientists, makes use of an inactivated version of the common cold virus and has shown exemplary results in preliminary studies. It is also one of the cheapest vaccines in development right now, giving it an edge over its competitors.
The SII has also increased production, reserving more than 50 million doses for the Indian masses and promising to have more in the coming months.
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