Covid-19 vaccines
Two Covid-19 vaccine candidates await DCGI approval for emergency use in India
New Delhi/IBNS: Two Covid-19 vaccine candidates in India-Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and the Serum Institute of India's Covishield-now awaits the approval of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use after they have been cleared by the government-appointed panel.
DCGI chief Dr Venugopal G Somani is expected to share details about the vaccine candidates on Sunday.
The government-appointed panel of experts on Saturday cleared the emergency use of indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin manufactured by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and recommended for approval to the regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
The recommendation for the home-grown vaccine came a day after the expert panel cleared Covishield developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca to be manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII).
The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recommended the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to grant permission to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
According to reports, the SEC met on Jan 1 and 2 and made the recommendations for the consideration and final decision of DGCI, said the Union Health Ministry.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) is making the vaccine Covishield developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca, while Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its indigenous Covaxin.
The final decision to recommend Bharat Biotech's Covaxin came after it presented updated data and justification and request for consideration of their proposal amid cases of mutant Coronavirus strain.
The committee noted that the vaccine has the potential to target mutated coronavirus strains, media reports said.
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