NEW DELHI: India is poised to celebrate New Years Day by giving its first approval to a coronavirus vaccine.
The expert panel is likely to approve the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford for emergency use on Friday, Reuters reported, citing sources. If approved, India will become the third country after the UK and Argentina to give the vaccine the green light.
The decision would also pave the way for the launch of the vaccine in the second most populous country in the world, which, after the United States, has the highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world.
The Serum Institute of India, the local manufacturer of the vaccine, has already stocked about 50 million doses, most of which will be administered in India.
One of the sources said the shots could begin to be transported from cold storage to Indian states as of Saturday.
Sources told Reuters that the Central Standard Medicines Control Organization (CDSCO), whose experts met for the second time this week, could also approve a locally developed vaccine by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).
“Both AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech will get approval today,” said one of the sources. “All preparations are taking into account today’s date.”
The government said Wednesday that Pfizer Inc had sought more time to submit data for the emergency authorization of a vaccine it has developed with Germany’s BioNTech.
Earlier today, the Serum Institute concluded its presentation to the 10-member Matter Expert Committee of the Medicines Regulator for the approval of its coronavirus vaccine.
The drug regulator had indicated that approval of the vaccine could come in the New Year.
The UK-based Oxford vaccine has been considered a pioneer in India’s search for vaccines.
Unlike the vaccines of other candidates such as Pfizer and Moderna, Covishield does not have to be stored in freezing conditions and requires storage at home refrigerator temperature (2 to 8 degrees Celsius).
The vaccine also has a cost advantage over others and is likely to be priced well below Rs 1,000 for two mandatory doses, company and government sources have indicated.
The overall efficacy of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine in preventing symptomatic infections was 70.4%, compared to the 95% efficacy of the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna injection.
The efficacy of the single dose was set at 52.7%, Britain said Wednesday, as guidance for healthcare workers, although a UK medical adviser also said a dose of AstraZeneca should be 70% effective. after three weeks.
The expert panel is likely to approve the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford for emergency use on Friday, Reuters reported, citing sources. If approved, India will become the third country after the UK and Argentina to give the vaccine the green light.
The decision would also pave the way for the launch of the vaccine in the second most populous country in the world, which, after the United States, has the highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world.
The Serum Institute of India, the local manufacturer of the vaccine, has already stocked about 50 million doses, most of which will be administered in India.
One of the sources said the shots could begin to be transported from cold storage to Indian states as of Saturday.
Sources told Reuters that the Central Standard Medicines Control Organization (CDSCO), whose experts met for the second time this week, could also approve a locally developed vaccine by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).
“Both AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech will get approval today,” said one of the sources. “All preparations are taking into account today’s date.”
The government said Wednesday that Pfizer Inc had sought more time to submit data for the emergency authorization of a vaccine it has developed with Germany’s BioNTech.
Earlier today, the Serum Institute concluded its presentation to the 10-member Matter Expert Committee of the Medicines Regulator for the approval of its coronavirus vaccine.
The drug regulator had indicated that approval of the vaccine could come in the New Year.
The UK-based Oxford vaccine has been considered a pioneer in India’s search for vaccines.
Unlike the vaccines of other candidates such as Pfizer and Moderna, Covishield does not have to be stored in freezing conditions and requires storage at home refrigerator temperature (2 to 8 degrees Celsius).
The vaccine also has a cost advantage over others and is likely to be priced well below Rs 1,000 for two mandatory doses, company and government sources have indicated.
The overall efficacy of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine in preventing symptomatic infections was 70.4%, compared to the 95% efficacy of the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna injection.
The efficacy of the single dose was set at 52.7%, Britain said Wednesday, as guidance for healthcare workers, although a UK medical adviser also said a dose of AstraZeneca should be 70% effective. after three weeks.
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