#Covaxin Approved for Age Group of 12-18 Years

[supernews]

Covovax now available for children in India: SII CEO Adar Poonawalla

Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday said that the COVID-19 vaccine Covovax is now available in India for children.

He also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision of providing another vaccine for children.

Covovax (Novavax), is now available for children in India. This is the only vaccine manufactured in India that is also sold in Europe and has an efficacy of 90 per cent. This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of providing yet another vaccine to protect our children," he said in a tweet.

Last week, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) approved the Serum Institute of India's Covovax COVID-19 vaccine for the age group 12-17.

However, the Drugs Controller General of India's (DCGI) subject expert committee has sought more data from the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) on the Covovax vaccine for the age group of 7-12 years.

COVID-19 vaccination for minors in India started from January 3 onwards for those in the 15-18 age group with Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. The drive later expanded on March 16 to include children aged above 12 for Biological E's Corbevax.

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[technodabhi]

Covid-19 vaccine: Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin gets emergency approval for 6-12 age group

Covid-19 vaccine: Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin gets emergency approval for 6-12 age group

Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) on Tuesday said its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, has received emergency use approval in children 6-12 years of age in India. Earlier approved for children 12-18 years of age, Covaxin has proven to be safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic in paediatric subjects in phase II/III study in children 2-18 years of age, Bharat Biotech said in a statement. The company…

[deshbandhu]

What is this new Corbevax Vaccine? Will it be a Boon to the World?

Since 2019 the world has been suffering from the Covid-19 and living under the threat of a pandemic, now entering the third year. The population faced new variants of Covid-19 like Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. And the experts say that Omicron is not the last variant, they do not know about the next variants, many are yet to come.

To counter the pandemic, the World’s pharmaceutical companies showed the power of unity and worked together to make new vaccines. First COVID-19 Vaccine i.e. COVAXIN, presented by Bharat Biotech gets DCGI approval, previously for Covidshield and now Corbevax is in the news.

From where it all started:

Corbevax is a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine; developed by the Texas Children’s Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine under the guidance of Drs. Maria Elena Bottazzi and Peter Hotez.

In, India a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Biological E collaborated with Texas Children’s Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development to produce the world's cheapest vaccine for all. For more news headlines in Hindi, you can search for the best Hindi news channels.

Why Corbevax is the new hot topic?

Protein subunit vaccines have advantages over mRNA vaccines as they can be produced using well-established recombinants. Corbevax vaccine can be manufactured on a larger scale because of the availability of advanced manufacturing equipment. Furthermore, CORBEVAX can be stored in a regular refrigerator. India’s leading pharmaceutical company Biological E says that the vaccine will revolutionize the world, as it is effective and budget-friendly.

How does the Corbevax vaccine work?

All COVID-19 vaccines make the immune system recognize the virus and the body starts to mount an attack. Whereas, the newly discovered Corbevax vaccine is a protein subunit vaccine that uses a harmless piece of the spike protein from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to stimulate and prepares the immune system to fight the virus. To get trending top news in Hindi follow the best Hindi news channels and know more about Corbevax.

Is Corbevax safe?

Biological E has initiated the clinical study in October 2021 and has evaluated the available safety and immunogenicity results of the ongoing phase 2/3 study which says that the Corbevax is completely safe.

Who can take Corbevax?

Individuals having 18 years or older are allowed to take the new vaccine Corbevax. The Drug Controller General of India approved emergency use authorization to Biological E's Corbevax to the age groups between 12-18 years on Monday.

How much did it cost?

Biological E is a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, that holds a patent-free license of Corbevax, said that Corbevax could be India’s most economical vaccine and might cost Rs 250 per dose in comparison to Covidshield, which was costing Rs 350 per dose. And Government of India is in the mood to pay Rs 1500 crore in advance to vaccinate as many as 15 crore Indians. Biological E. is all set to deliver more than a billion doses of Corbevax to benefit other countries.

Mahima Datla on “Corbevax”

Mahima Datla, the managing director, Biological E. Limited, said, “We have been working hard to make high-quality and cost-effective vaccines & pharmaceutical products for all the families globally. And now in 2022 we finally developed an affordable and effective COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax. Our dream has become a reality; it will be a Boon to the World.

[newsliveupdates]

Covaxin safe, shows 77.8% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19: Lancet study

Two doses of Covaxin, India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, offer 77.8% protection against symptomatic disease and present no serious safety concerns, according to an interim analysis of its phase 3 trial published in The Lancet on Friday.

Covaxin, an inactivated whole virus vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, recently received emergency use approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) for people aged 18 and above.

The phase 3 trial findings indicate that Covaxin induces a robust antibody response with no severe vaccine-related adverse events or deaths reported among the trial participants, the authors of the study said.

The majority of the adverse events, including headache, fatigue, fever, and pain at the injection site, were mild and occurred within seven days of vaccination, they explained.

The vaccine is administered in a two-dose regimen, 28 days apart, and can be stored and transported between 2-8 degrees Celsius.

The trial took place from November 16 to May 17 this year, with participants aged 18 and older randomly assigned to receive two doses of the vaccine or a placebo.

The researchers “recorded 24 positive cases among 8,471 people in the vaccine group and 106 positive cases among 8,502 people in the placebo group, suggesting an overall vaccine efficacy of 77.8 per cent”, the authors said.

They also noted that the data is preliminary and more research with larger sample size is needed to determine efficacy against severe disease and hospitalisation.

Participants considered to be at risk of acquiring COVID-19 were prioritised with 2,750 participants above 60 years of age and 5,724 participants who reported at least one pre-existing medical condition, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or obesity, across ages.

This study was conducted with participants from diverse geographic locations across 25 hospitals in India.

The researchers conducted an efficacy analysis based on 130 laboratory-confirmed RT-PCR positive symptomatic COVID-19 among 16,973 initially seronegative participants.

These cases were recorded at least two weeks after participants had received a second dose.

The trial also found that Covaxin was well-tolerated among all trial participants, with 12 % of vaccine and placebo groups reporting an adverse event.

"The peer-review of Covaxin phase III clinical trial data in The Lancet, an authoritative voice in global medicine validates our commitment to data transparency and meeting the stringent peer-review standards of world-leading medical journals,” said Bharat Biotech Chairman Krishna Ella.

"The data from our product development and clinical trials have been published in 10 peer-reviewed journals, making Covaxin one of the most highly published COVID-19 vaccines in the world,” Mr. Ella said in a statement.

The study authors from Bharat Biotech and National Institute of Virology, Indian Council of Medical Research (NIV-ICMR), Pune, noted that there was no clinically or statistically significant difference in serious adverse events between groups, and no cases of vaccine-related deaths.

"I am delighted to see that the phase III efficacy data has also been published in The Lancet, one of the most reputed journals worldwide. This itself speaks high about the strong position of Covaxin amongst other global front-runners COVID-19 vaccines," said Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Balram Bhargava.

Analysis of immune responses induced by the vaccine showed that Covaxin produced a strong neutralising antibody response measured by the concentration of these antibodies at day 56 or one month after receiving the second dose.

A neutralising antibody defends a cell from an infectious particle by preventing any effect it has biologically.

Similar to the phase 1/2 studies, Covaxin-induced antibodies showed no significant decrease in neutralisation activity against the Alpha variant but demonstrated marginal reductions against other variants of concern, including Delta and Gamma.

Researchers conducted a preliminary analysis of efficacy against the Delta variant and found Covaxin to be 65 per cent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection from the variant.

They, however, cautioned that this data is preliminary and further observations are necessary to confirm clinical efficacy against Delta and other variants.

The study found no significant differences in immune responses across the broad age groups of under- and over-60-year-olds. The oldest trial participant was 97 years old.

The authors of the study also noted several limitations of the analysis.

Due to the low number of cases reported between the first and second vaccine doses, the researchers could not calculate vaccine efficacy after a single dose.

They said the analysis included safety follow-up of an average 146 days from the first dose for all participants, adding that long-term safety follow-up of Covaxin is required and is currently underway.

The study population was limited to India and therefore lacked ethnic and racial diversity, underscoring the importance of evaluating the efficacy of Covaxin in other populations.

“The roll-out of Covaxin might ease the ultra-cold chain requirements of other SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platforms, increase the finite global manufacturing capacity, and improve insufficient supply of vaccines which disproportionately affects low-income and middle-income countries,” said Jing-Xin Li and Feng-Cai Zhu of the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China, who were not involved in the study.

“The next step for studies of Covaxin should be a focus on monitoring for epidemiological variations in SARS-CoV-2 and the long-term vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 and asymptomatic infection to identify whether the vaccine provides ongoing protection when any variant of concern has occurred,” Mr. Zhu said in a statement.

Source

[thenewsfactsnow]

India Recommends Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN for Kids Under 12 Years

India Recommends Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN for 2-18 Years - further regulatory approvals from the CDSCO prior to product launch awaited #Covaxin #BharatBiotech

Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children under 12 years of age has got India’s Subject Expert Committee nod. This recommendations given by SEC today makes the first vaccine maker in the country to get such an approval after a review of its trial data for the 2-18 age-group. The decision is a big bolster to India’s vaccination program to not only cover adults but also its younger…

[eagle-eyez]

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

ZyCoV-D, a needle-free three-dose COVID-19 vaccine developed by Indian pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila received an emergency use license in India on Friday, after a government panel recommended the same to India's central drug authority.

The Ahmedabad-based pharma major had on 1 July applied for emergency use authorisation (EUA) with the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the vaccine. The company said it has conducted the largest clinical trial for the vaccine in India in over 50 centres so far.

Why is this relevant?

ZyCoV-D is the world's first DNA vaccine against the SARS-Cov-2 virus infection, developed by an Indian company and become the sixth vaccine that has been approved for use in the country after Serum Institute's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Russia's Sputnik V and the US-made Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.

It is also the first vaccine candidate in India that has been found safe for use in children above the age of 12. Countries like US, France and Germany are already at various stages of providing vaccines for minors. In India, apart from ZyCoV-D, Bharat biotech's Covaxin is also under trial for use among the 2 to 18-year-old population.

Zydus Cadila, that already has anti-COVID treatments available in the market claimed to have conducted the largest clinical trial in India so far at over 50 centers and the participants included people between age group 12 and 18 years. The Covaxin trial includes 525 minor volunteers.

How is it different from other vaccines?

 ZyCoV-D is a three-dose vaccine, unlike Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Serum Institute of India-manufactured Covishield jabs.

However, the company said it has also evaluated a two-dose regimen for ZyCoV-D vaccine using a 3-milligram dose per visit and the immunogenicity results had been found to be equivalent to the current three-dose regimen.

This will further help in reducing the full course duration of vaccination while maintaining the high safety profile of the vaccine in the future, the company added.

ZyCoV-D is touted to be a 'needle-free' vaccine.

It is an intradermal vaccine, which is applied using The PharmaJet needle-free system.  Needle-free injectors deliver the vaccine using a narrow stream of fluid to penetrate the skin and deliver the vaccine to the proper tissue depth. The company says this methodology can eliminate chances of needlestick injury and will also lead to a significant reduction in any kind of side effects. It will also help people suffering from trypanophobia, a common condition marked by an irrational fear of blood or needles. It's estimated that fear of needles affects up to 25 percent of adults.

ZyCoV-D is not very sensitive to temperature, unlike its competitors. The prescribed storage temperature is between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade but has shown good stability at temperatures of 25 degrees centigrade as well for at least three months.

The thermostability of the vaccine will help in easy transportation and storage of the vaccine and reduce any cold chain breakdown challenges leading to vaccine wastage.

The plasmid DNA platform provides ease of manufacturing with minimal biosafety requirements.

It can be manufactured at a BSL-1 grade lab which brings down the cost of production and ensures that the cost of expanding production units. In comparison, Covaxin needs a Bio-Safety Level 3 lab to manufacture the jab.

The Plasmid DNA platform also allows generating new constructs quickly to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring

The science behind the jab: How does it work?

ZyCoV-D is a plasmid DNA vaccine which when injected produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response mediated by the cellular and humoral arms of the human immune system, which play a vital role in protection from disease as well as viral clearance.

In simpler words, it means that the vaccine is manufactured by creating a close enough copy of the virus' DNA sequence so that no harm or disease is caused, but the immune system response is triggered when the body encounters the real virus the next time.

Interim efficacy results

The vaccine has shown a primary efficacy of 66.6 percent for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases in the interim analysis. Whereas, no moderate case of COVID-19 disease was observed in the vaccine beneficiaries post administration of the third dose suggesting 100% efficacy for moderate disease.

No severe cases or deaths due to COVID-19 occurred in the vaccine recipients after administration of the second dose of the vaccine.

However, its phase three trial data is not yet peer-reviewed.

The vaccine manufacturers also claimed that the vaccine's efficacy data were collected through India's largest clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine so far. A study carried out in more than 50 clinical sites spread across the country and during the peak of the second wave of COVID-19 reaffirming the vaccine's efficacy against the new mutant strains especially the delta variant, Cadila Healthcare managing director Dr Patel said.

He also emphasised that the plasmid DNA platform is ideally suited for dealing with COVID-19 as it can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus. Moreover, the DNA vaccines offer a number of potential advantages over traditional approaches that include stimulation of both B and T cell responses, improving the vaccine stability, says WHO.

Availability and pricing

The company said that it can be ready for rollout within 45 to 60 days of getting approval. The company plans to manufacture 10 to 12 crore doses annually in the early stages. However, the company did not give any hint on the expected price of the vaccine jab. It clarified that the price of the vaccine will be charged separately and the needle-free applicator will come at a separate cost. The company has, however, not yet decided if it will roll out the final product by clubbing the prices of the jab and the applicator.

"It is too early to comment on the pricing. That discussion is yet to happen. We will announce the price before the commercial launch of ZyCoV-D," Patel told a press conference. He said that so far up to Rs 500 crore has been invested in the development of the Zydus vaccine.

Originally posted here: https://ift.tt/3gmgn7Y

[net4news]

A momentous feat: PM Narendra Modi after Zydus Cadila's Covid vaccine gets emergency use authorisation | India News

NEW DELHI: With indigenously developed Zydus Cadila's Covid-19 vaccine receiving emergency use authorisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed it as a "momentous feat" and said the approval to the world's first DNA-based vaccine against the coronavirus is a testimony to the innovative zeal of India's scientists. The department of biotechnology on Friday said indigenously developed Zydus Cadila Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D has received approval for emergency use authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India and it will be administered to people 12 years and above. With the emergency use authorisation (EUA), ZyCoV-D has also become the first vaccine to be administered to those in the age group of 12-18 years in the country. "India is fighting Covid-19 with full vigour. The approval for world's first DNA based ‘ZyCov-D' vaccine of @ZydusUniverse is a testimony to the innovative zeal of India's scientists," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. India is fighting COVID-19 with full vigour. The approval for world’s first DNA based ‘ZyCov-D’ vaccine of… https://t.co/gKXDRxzx2P — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1629476015000 "A momentous feat indeed," he added. Vaccines Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V are being given to only those above 18 years of age and unlike ZyCoV-D, which is three-dose, these are administered in two doses. The department of biotechnology (DBT) said that ZyCoV-D is the world's first DNA-based vaccine against the coronavirus and when injected produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response, which plays a vital role in protection from the disease as well as viral clearance. Source link Read the full article

[growthpossible]

Covaxin Shot Can Hamper Travel Plans of Indians

Also, Covaxin is not yet on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Emergency Use Listing (EUL). ‘Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in the age group of two to 18 years.’ The latest WHO guidance document shows that Bharat Biotech has submitted its Expression of Interest (EoI) but "more information is required". Bharat Biotech was yet to react to the reports. However, a peer-review publication Clinical Infectious Diseases has noted that Covaxin demonstrates protection against the new Covid-19 variants. The study found that vaccination with Covaxin produced neutralizing titers against all key emerging variants tested including B1617 and B117, first identified in India and the UK, respectively. A modest reduction in neutralization by a factor of 1.95 was observed against the B1617 variant compared to the vaccine variant. Top officials in the country said this week that they will begin clinical trials to test the Covaxin vaccine's efficacy in children between two to 18 years of age in 10-12 days. "Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in the age group of two to 18 years. I have been told that trials will begin in the next 10-12 days," V.K. Paul, NITI Aayog's Member Health, had said. Source: IANS Source link Read the full article

[gretonew]

Covid-19 vaccination of children above the age of 12 in India is likely to start by September, NK Arora, who heads the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, told NDTV on Thursday. Currently, India is vaccinating only those above 18 against the coronavirus.

Arora added that the approval for emergency use authorisation for the Zydus vaccine, ZyCov-D, will come within weeks. On July 1, Zydus Cadila had said that it has applied for emergency use authorisation its three-dose coronavirus vaccine.

If approved by the Drug Controller General of India, this will be the world’s first DNA vaccine, as it makes use of a portion of the genetic code – deoxyribonucleic acid or ribonucleic acid – in the SARS-CoV-2 virus to stimulate an immune response against its spike protein.

The shot, the company said, is “needle-free” and “safe for children”.

The trial data for 12 to 18-year-olds will be available within a few months. “By the end of September we should be able to give it,” Arora said. He added that this will be followed up with Covaxin.

“Covaxin phase 3 trials have started and by the end of September, I think we should be there [begin vaccination], Arora told NDTV. “I think sometime in the third quarter or by early January-February we should...

Read more

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[sachkiawaaj]

Covaxin trial for 2-18 yrs age group to begin in 10-12 days, govt says

Covaxin trial for 2-18 yrs age group to begin in 10-12 days, govt says

NEW DELHI: Trial of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in the 2-18 years age group is likely to begin in the next 10-12 days. This was stated today by VK Paul, member of NITI Aayog (Health)while speaking to the media today. Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had last week approved Covaxin for Phase II/III clinical trials in that age group. Speaking on use of DRDO’s Covid drug 2DG, Paul said “We will…

[mytracknews]

India Sees 1.34L New Cases, 2,887 Deaths; Serum Institute Seeks Pfizer-like Indemnity Protection

India Sees 1.34L New Cases, 2,887 Deaths; Serum Institute Seeks Pfizer-like Indemnity Protection

Covaxin acquired the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) nod to conduct medical trials in kids on May 11. “Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), for Phase II/III clinical trials in the age group of 2 to 18 years.” India began the world’s largest vaccination drive on January 16 this 12 months in a phased method with healthcare staff (HCWs) getting…

[eagle-eyez]

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

ZyCoV-D, a needle-free three-dose COVID-19 vaccine developed by Indian pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila received an emergency use license in India on Friday, after a government panel recommended the same to India's central drug authority.

The Ahmedabad-based pharma major had on 1 July applied for emergency use authorisation (EUA) with the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the vaccine. The company said it has conducted the largest clinical trial for the vaccine in India in over 50 centres so far.

Why is this relevant?

ZyCoV-D is the world's first DNA vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection, developed by an Indian company and become the sixth vaccine that has been approved for use in the country after Serum Institute's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Russia's Sputnik V and the US-made Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.

It is also the first vaccine candidate in India that has been found safe for use in children above the age of 12. Countries like US, France and Germany are already at various stages of providing vaccines for minors. In India, apart from ZyCoV-D, Bharat biotech's Covaxin is also under trial for use among the 2 to 18-year-old population.

Zydus Cadila, that already has anti-COVID treatments available in the market claimed to have conducted the largest clinical trial in India so far at over 50 centers and the participants included people between age group 12 and 18 years. The Covaxin trial includes 525 minor volunteers.

How is it different from other vaccines?

 ZyCoV-D is a three-dose vaccine, unlike Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Serum Institute of India-manufactured Covishield jabs.

However, the company said it has also evaluated a two-dose regimen for ZyCoV-D vaccine using a 3-milligram dose per visit and the immunogenicity results had been found to be equivalent to the current three-dose regimen.

This will further help in reducing the full course duration of vaccination while maintaining the high safety profile of the vaccine in the future, the company added.

ZyCoV-D is touted to be a 'needle-free' vaccine.

It is an intradermal vaccine, which is applied using The PharmaJet needle-free system.  Needle-free injectors deliver the vaccine using a narrow stream of fluid to penetrate the skin and deliver the vaccine to the proper tissue depth. The company says this methodology can eliminate chances of needlestick injury and will also lead to a significant reduction in any kind of side effects. It will also help people suffering from trypanophobia, a common condition marked by an irrational fear of blood or needles. It's estimated that fear of needles affects up to 25 percent of adults.

ZyCoV-D is not very sensitive to temperature, unlike its competitors. The prescribed storage temperature is between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade but has shown good stability at temperatures of 25 degrees centigrade as well for at least three months.

The thermostability of the vaccine will help in easy transportation and storage of the vaccine and reduce any cold chain breakdown challenges leading to vaccine wastage.

The plasmid DNA platform provides ease of manufacturing with minimal biosafety requirements.

It can be manufactured at a BSL-1 grade lab which brings down the cost of production and ensures that the cost of expanding production units. In comparison, Covaxin needs a Bio-Safety Level 3 lab to manufacture the jab.

The Plasmid DNA platform also allows generating new constructs quickly to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring

The science behind the jab: How does it work?

ZyCoV-D is a plasmid DNA vaccine which when injected produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response mediated by the cellular and humoral arms of the human immune system, which play a vital role in protection from disease as well as viral clearance.

In simpler words, it means that the vaccine is manufactured by creating a close enough copy of the virus' DNA sequence so that no harm or disease is caused, but the immune system response is triggered when the body encounters the real virus the next time.

Interim efficacy results

The vaccine has shown a primary efficacy of 66.6 percent for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases in the interim analysis. Whereas, no moderate case of COVID-19 disease was observed in the vaccine beneficiaries post administration of the third dose suggesting 100% efficacy for moderate disease.

No severe cases or deaths due to COVID-19 occurred in the vaccine recipients after administration of the second dose of the vaccine.

However, its phase three trial data is not yet peer-reviewed.

The vaccine manufacturers also claimed that the vaccine's efficacy data were collected through India's largest clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine so far. A study carried out in more than 50 clinical sites spread across the country and during the peak of the second wave of COVID-19 reaffirming the vaccine's efficacy against the new mutant strains especially the delta variant, Cadila Healthcare managing director Dr Patel said.

He also emphasised that the plasmid DNA platform is ideally suited for dealing with COVID-19 as it can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus. Moreover, the DNA vaccines offer a number of potential advantages over traditional approaches that include stimulation of both B and T cell responses, improving the vaccine stability, says WHO.

Availability and pricing

The company said that it can be ready for rollout within 45 to 60 days of getting approval. The company plans to manufacture 10 to 12 crore doses annually in the early stages. However, the company did not give any hint on the expected price of the vaccine jab. It clarified that the price of the vaccine will be charged separately and the needle-free applicator will come at a separate cost. The company has, however, not yet decided if it will roll out the final product by clubbing the prices of the jab and the applicator.

"It is too early to comment on the pricing. That discussion is yet to happen. We will announce the price before the commercial launch of ZyCoV-D," Patel told a press conference. He said that so far up to Rs 500 crore has been invested in the development of the Zydus vaccine.

Originally posted here: https://ift.tt/2XzaY72