The Serum Institute of India (SII), which has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and the Oxford University for developing COVID-19 vaccine, said on Saturday that it will apply within two weeks for the emergency use of the vaccine.
After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the vaccine facility in Pune in the evening, SII chief Adar Poonawalla said they are in the process of submitting the data officially to the Drug Controller of India.
"We discussed the implementation plan (with the prime minister) which will happen only after the emergency use licence and that is granted based on the data that will have to be submitted. We are in the process of submitting that officially to the Drug Controller of India …,” he said.
Earlier, Modi interacted with a team of scientists at the Institute and they shared details about their progress so far on how they plan to further ramp up vaccine manufacturing.
Serum Institute is conducting clinical trials of AstraZeneca-Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India.
"Worldwide everybody is now dependent and is looking forward to the vaccines comingout in large volumes and at affordable price from India as everybody already knows that more than 50 to 60 per cent of all vaccines are made in India,” Poonawalla said.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister visited the vaccine facilities in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad and reviewed the development and manufacturing process of the vaccines.
He visited the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad and Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad before arriving at Serum Institute in Pune.
