INDIA TO GET 100 MILLION DOSES OF COVID-19 VACCINE BY DECEMBER, SAYS SERUM INSTITUTE
Home > News Shots > IndiaAs a sigh of relief amid COVID-19 rise, the Serum Institute of India (SII), has begun the production of AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine.
According to a Hindustan Times report, Serum Institute of India has collaborated with AstraZeneca for the production of a coronavirus vaccine named 'Covishield', which has been developed by Oxford University.
The world’s largest vaccine maker is ramping up production, aiming to have 100 million doses ready by December for an inoculation drive that could begin across India that same month.
Currently, the coronavirus vaccine candidate is in the phase 2-3 clinical trial in the country. Serum Institute of India and AstraZeneca have partnered to produce at least 1 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, Hindustan Times report
A Bloomberg report recently stated that Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India, said the SII may get emergency authorisation from New Delhi by December if the coronavirus vaccine candidate shows effective results. Poonawalla added that "the initial amount will go to India".
Earlier this week, SII said it has made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential Covid-19 vaccine, and would begin making Novavax's rival shot. However, SII has declined to comment on whether the 40 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were meant for global supply or only for India, a Reuters report said.
Talking about the vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine, co-developed by Oxford University, is the most advanced in human testing in India. The company and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will pursue "early availability" of the shot in India. Meanwhile, the ICMR had funded the clinical trial site fees for the AstraZeneca vaccine, Serum said.
So far the Serum said it had enrolled 1,600 participants in India for the late-stage trials of AstraZeneca’s candidate, and also plans to seek regulatory approval to run late-stage trials for the Novavax vaccine, Hindustan Times also stated.
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