Serum Institute to manufacture Novavax's Covid vaccine, govt eyes 20 crore doses by December
The US-based biotechnology company Novavax has tied up with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture its Covid-19 vaccine, namely Covovax. According to the company's claim, its nano-particle protein-based vaccine has demonstrated an overall 90.4 per cent efficacy in phase 3 clinical trials.
Reports say that the Government of India expects the availability of 20 crore doses of Covovax between August and December. India is yet to grant authorisation for emergency use. It is likely that the country will allow entry of this vaccine once the USFDA approves it.
Pune-based Serum Institute of India is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally. Novavax said that SII is a crucial partner to achieve the production targets. Although the company has not disclosed the volumes it is making now, it has set a target to make around 50 million doses of Covovax per month.
The company said in a statement said that its vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373 has shown 100 per cent protection against moderate and severe disease. It has overall efficacy of 90.4 per cent. Besides, it has also shown high efficacy against predominantly circulating variants.
"Novavax is one step closer to addressing the critical and persistent global public health need for additional COVID-19 vaccines. These clinical results reinforce that NVX-CoV2373 is extremely effective and offers complete protection against both moderate and severe COVID-19 infection," Novavax president and CEO Stanley C Erck said.
The company intends to file for regulatory authorisations in the third quarter. The Novavax vaccine can be stored in standard refrigerators, making it easier to distribute. The vaccine was effective against several variants, including the one first detected in the UK that's dominant in the US, and in high-risk populations including the elderly and people with other health problems.
Meanwhile, the company has promised to supply 110 million doses to the US over the next year and a total of 1.1 billion doses to developing countries.
Earlier in March, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla had said that clinical trials of the vaccine 'Covovax' have begun in India and the company hopes to launch it by September this year. The SII is already producing the Covishield vaccine, the local version of Oxford-AstraZeneca's drug.
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