#world first dna-based covid vaccine zycov-d

[tezlivenews]

न सूई न दर्द, अपनी तरह की दुनिया की पहली...बच्चों वाली कोरोना वैक्सीन ZyCov-D के बारे में सब कुछ जो जानना है जरूरी

न सूई न दर्द, अपनी तरह की दुनिया की पहली…बच्चों वाली कोरोना वैक्सीन ZyCov-D के बारे में सब कुछ जो जानना है जरूरी

कुछ इस तरह लगेगी जायकोव डी वैक्सीन। तस्वीर में लेफ्ट में परंपरागत नीडल वाली तकनीक बताई गई है, राइट में नीडल-फ्री अप्लिकेटर को दिखाया गया है। Source link

[kt041978]

Zydus Cadila Agrees To Reduce Covid Vaccine Price To Rs 265 Per Dose

Zydus Cadila agree to reduce price of its vaccine dose. Zydus Cadila has agree to bring down the price of its COVID-19 vaccine to Rs 265 a dose. It is following persistent negotiations by the government. But a final deal is yet to  reach, sources said on Sunday. Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D is the first vaccine clear by India's drug regulator for inoculation of those age 12 years and above.

To administer the needle-free vaccine, a disposable painless jet applicator costing Rs 93 is require for each dose, which would take the price to Rs 358 per dose.

Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D Price

The Ahmedabad-based pharma company earlier had propose a price of Rs 1,900 for its three-dose regimen, sources said. "The company has brought down the price to Rs 358 for each dose which includes Rs 93, the cost of a disposable jet applicator, following repeats negotiations by the government. A final decision in the matter is likely to be take this week," a source in the know of developments said. The three doses are to be administer 28 days apart, with each dose comprising a shot in both arms. The indigenously develops world's first DNA-based needle-free COVID-19 vaccine. ZyCoV-D received emergency use authorization from the drug regulator on August 20. Meanwhile, the government is still waiting for the recommendations from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI). It is for introducing ZyCoV-D in the inoculation drive for adults and children with co-morbidities. NTAGI will provide the protocol and framework for the introduction of this vaccine in the COVID-19 immunization drive. Official sources earlier had said that the pricing of ZyCoV-D would be different from that of Covaxin and Covishield. As apart from being a three-dose vaccine, it requires a special pharma jet injector that has to be used for administering the vaccine. That pharma jet injector can be used for administering around 20,000 doses. "The jet applicator helps the vaccine fluid to penetrate the skin to enter cells of the recipient," the source said. Zydus Cadila can provide around two crore doses in November, a source had said. The government is currently procuring two other vaccines. Covishield at Rs 205 per dose and Covaxin at Rs 215 per dose for the national COVID-19 immunization program. Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V give to only those above 18 years of age. Unlike ZyCoV-D, these are two-dose regimens. India has administer more than 106 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far.

Countrywide Vaccination Drive

The countrywide vaccination drive was roll out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculate in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commence from March 1 for people over 60 years of age. Those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launch vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1. The government then decides to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinate from May 1. Source link Read the full article

[neel5276]

India to roll out COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 and above from October: Report

From October, Zydus Cadila will produce 10 million doses a month of the world`s first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D. from Zee News :India National https://ift.tt/39w7uFf

[emaratdaily]

India to authorize COVID-19 vaccines for children next month: Sources

India to authorize COVID-19 vaccines for children next month: Sources

All Indian children aged 12 or older will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations from next month, when drug maker Cadila Healthcare launches its ZyCoV-D product, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. The world’s first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D won emergency authorization from…

[trendingtales]

ZyCov-D is the world’s first plasmid-based DNA COVID-19 vaccine developed by Cedilla Healthcare, an Indian pharmaceutical company.

[thisdaynews]

India Approves Emergency Use Of 2nd Locally-Made Covid-19 Shot

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/india-approves-emergency-use-of-2nd-locally-made-covid-19-shot-2/

India Approves Emergency Use Of 2nd Locally-Made Covid-19 Shot

India on Friday approved the crisis utilization of a second local Covid-19 immunization, which is additionally the first supported for youngsters more established than 12 in the country.

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India’s Department of Biotechnology reported its endorsement for ZyCoV-D, by Indian drug firm Zydus Cadila, as the “world’s first and India’s natively evolved DNA-based immunization for Covid-19.”

The endorsement for ZyCoV-D, which can be applied utilizing a sans needle injector, accompanies inoculation rates getting the nation over in the course of the most recent couple of weeks.

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“This three-portion antibody… when infused produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and gets an insusceptible reaction,” the biotechnology division, which banded together with Zydus Cadila, said in an explanation.

“The attachment and-play innovation on which the plasmid DNA stage is based can be effortlessly adjusted to manage changes in the infection, for example, those previously happening,” it added.

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ZyCov-D is presently the 6th antibody to be supported by New Delhi after Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, Covaxin — which was created by Indian firm Bharat Biotech, Russia’s Sputnik V, and Johnson and Johnson.

In excess of 574 million punches have been controlled so far in India.

The nation broke its day by day record recently by overseeing more than 9.2 million immunization dosages in the mass inoculation program which started in mid-January.

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India desires to vaccinate its whole qualified populace before the finish of December. In any case, with just around 10% — or 127 million individuals — having gotten the two dosages of a two-shot system, some wellbeing specialists say the nation should additionally support its native immunization creation.

Strategic difficulties make Indian immunizations, which needn’t bother with any exceptional storerooms, the simplest to move and use the nation over.

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The country of 1.3 billion individuals was hit by a monstrous spike of Covid cases in April and May that pushed the medical services framework to limit.

India has so far recorded somewhere around 433,589 passings and in excess of 32 million Covid-19 diseases.

[noncyowen]

India approves world's first DNA-based Plasmid COVID vaccine for 12 and above

India approves world’s first DNA-based Plasmid COVID vaccine for 12 and above

ZyCoV-D, a three-dose Covid-19 vaccine developed by Cadila Healthcare (Zydus Cadila), got Emergency Use Authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Friday and will be administered to persons aged 12 and above. On Friday, India’s Drug Controller General granted emergency permission to the ZyCoV-D, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Zydus Cadilla company, making it the first…

[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

[techminsolutions]

Analyst Corner: Retain ‘hold’ on Cadila with revised TP of Rs 570

Analyst Corner: Retain ‘hold’ on Cadila with revised TP of Rs 570

ZyCoV-D filed in India for EUA: CDH has filed for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for ZyCoV-D, its plasmid DNA vaccine for Covid-19 (the world’s first plasmid DNA based Covid-19 vaccine), in India on 1 July 2021. Its filing is based on interim results from Phase III clinical trials in over 28,000 volunteers. CDH has also tested the vaccine in 1,000 volunteers in the 12-18 years’ age group. It…

[superpruchika99world]

World's 'first' DNA vaccine against coronavirus: All you need to know

Coronavirus News DNA-plasmid vaccine- Ahmedabad-based Cadila Healthcare has applied for an emergency-use authorisation (EUA)  (EUA) to the Drug Controller General of India, for its needle-free, DNA-plasmid, 3 doses vaccine, ZyCoV-D.

Plasmid is an extrachromosomal DNA molecule with an ability to self replicate. So, when a plasmid DNA vaccine is injected, it produces the spike protein of the virus and builds an immune response mediated by the cellular and humoral arms of the human immune system.

ALSO READ: Experts question if WHO should lead Covid-19 pandemic origins probe

3-dose vaccine- If Zydus’ ZyCoV-D gets nod from the officials, it will become India's fifth vaccine authorised for use after Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V and Moderna.

However, unlike any of these vaccines, Zydus’ ZyCoV-D is a 3 dose vaccine with a needle-free application system. The company aims to produce 1 crore vaccine doses in a month...Read more.

[dbpnews]

Can Launch Vaccine Within 2 Months If Approved, Says Zydus Cadila on World's 1st Plasmid DNA Shot

Can Launch Vaccine Within 2 Months If Approved, Says Zydus Cadila on World’s 1st Plasmid DNA Shot

Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila has requested emergency use approval for its ZyCoV-D three-dose Covid shot that is the world’s first Plasmid DNA vaccine. Zydus claims its vaccine is 66.6 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid cases and 100 per cent for moderate disease. It also says the vaccine is safe for children between 12 and 18 years. But its trial data is not…

[newswave-kota]

Indian COVID19 vaccines in the global race to end the pandemic

By Dr TV Venkateswaran Newswave @ New Delhi With the announcement of COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech and ZyCov-D Vaccine by Zydus Cadila the proverbial silver line in the dark clouds of COVID19 appears at the horizon. Now with the nod given by the Drug Controller General of India CDSCO (The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) for the conduct of the human trial, it will take anywhere between fifteen to eighteen months before licence are issued for the vaccines. Nonetheless this marks the beginning of the end. In the past years, India has emerged as one of the significant vaccine manufacturing hubs. Indian manufacturers account for 60% of vaccine supplies made to UNICEF. The vaccine for novel coronavirus may be developed anywhere in the world, but without Indian manufacturers involved the production of required quantity is not going to be feasible. Vaccine race More than 140 candidate vaccines are under various stages of development. One of the leading candidates is AZD1222 developed Jenner Institute of University of Oxford and licenced to AstraZeneca British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. The MRNA-1273 vaccine developed by Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Washington and taken up for production by the US-based Moderna pharmaceutical is just a step behind. Both these firms have already inked an agreement with Indian manufacturers for production of the COVID vaccines. Parallelly Indian institutions have also engaged in R&D for the development of vaccines in India. With the primary scientific inputs coming from institutions like Pune based ICMR institution National Institute of Virology and Hyderabad based CSIR institution Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19. Immune system Antigen from the pathogen and antibodies produced by the human immune cells can be thought of as matching the blouse with a sari. Every pathogen has specific molecular structures called as antigen. They are like the saris with a particular hue and pallu. Once infected by the germ, the human immune system develops antibodies that match the antigen. Just as the retailer of blouse matching material stockpile hundreds of blouse pieces of riots of colours and hues, our immune system has thousand crores types of antibodies. If the pathogen is a known enemy, the immune system can pull the matching blouse piece from the stock. Once the match is made the pathogen is inactivated. No longer it can infect. However, if the microorganism is unfamiliar, and mainly when it has evolved for the first time,  there is no matching colour and hue in the repertoire.  Nonetheless, unlike the textile, the antibody can evolve. At first, near matches are tried. After various cycles of antibody development, the best fit matures. The time lag between the identification of the sari colour that is an antigen, and finding a pairing blouse piece, that is antibodies, is what makes the infection mild or severe. If only the immune system can neutralise the germ instantly, the infection can be prevented. Immune memory and vaccine Like a new hue of blouse piece once acquired is stocked for future, once the new antibody matching the antigen evolves, it is retained in the immunological memory. Next time the same pathogen invades, immunological memory is aroused, and twinned antibody is released. The infection is nipped in the bud. We acquire immunity. A vaccine is a method to artificially inducing the immunological memory. Once the antigens of the nasty pathogen are introduced, the immune system is triggered into developing pairing antibodies and immunological memory. There are many ways in which one can artificially stroke the immune system to develop antibodies and memory. The bottom line is presenting the antigens of the novel coronavirus to the human immune system. From adenovirus-based live-attenuated virus to recombinant genetic technology is used to develop several types of vaccines. Two among the various possibilities produced in India are inactivated virus vaccine and DNA plasmid vaccine. How these vaccines work We can inactivate a whole virus with heat or formaldehyde (that is 'killed'), yet keep the antigen molecular structures are still intact. However, the inactivated virus will not be able to infect or cause disease, as it is no longer functional. The Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN uses the virus isolated from an Indian patient by the National Institute of Virology to develop the inactivated virus vaccine. Novel coronavirus infects the human cells with the help of its spike proteins. The spike protein of the virus binds with the ACE2 receptors on the surface of the human respiratory tract cells. Once the virus fuse, the viral genome is slipped into the human cell where around a thousand copies of the virus are made in just ten hours. These baby viruses emigrate to nearby cells. Infection can be arrested if only we can deactivate the spike protein of the novel coronavirus.  Thus the antigen on the spike protein is a crucial vaccine target. If the antibody blocks the spike protein, then the virus cannot bind the cell and produce its offspring. The genomic code of the spike protein is spliced into a harmless DNA plasmid. This modified plasmid DNA with the genetic code of viral spike protein is introduced into the host cells. The cellular machinery translates the DNA and produces the viral protein encoded in the genome. The human immune system recognises the alien protein and develops a matching antibody. After this vaccination, if at any time, we are infected by the novel coronavirus, sensing the spike protein antibodies are released instantly. The immune killer cells seize deactivated viruses. Contagion is arrested even before infection. (India Science Wire) Read the full article

[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