Zydus Cadila has applied for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) seeking approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the launch of their DNA coronavirus vaccine ZyCoV-D, which has completed the third phase of trial, news agency ANI reported. The vaccine is to be made available for 12 years and above. If DCGI approves, this will be the fifth vaccine to be approved for Indian use, after Serum Institute's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Russia's Sputnik V and US Moderna.
The Centre has been banking on domestic vaccine manufacturers Biological E and Zydus Cadila to bolster dwindling vaccine supplies. The government has been looking to procure a total of 135 crore doses: Covishield (50 crore), Covaxin (40 crore), Bio E Subunit vaccine (30 crore), Zydus Cadila DNA vaccine (5 crore) and Sputnik V (10 crore). The procurement of Bio E Subunit vaccine and Zydus Cadila DNA vaccine will be subject to approval.
In conversation with THE WEEK, Pankaj Patel, chairman, Zydus group, had earlier said: "Ours is a totally different platform compared with the current vaccines that have been approved in India and abroad. We have a DNA plasmid platform vaccine. This vaccine is given intradermally. It does not go deep inside the body. There is a specific device through which it is administered. It is needle-free, painless administering. People will not suffer side effects that are being seen in other vaccines."
