New Delhi: Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Friday said he hoped that Covovax, another Covid-19 vaccine produced by his company in India would be launched in October for adults and children in the first quarter of 2022.
He also thanked the government for all the support given to the Serum Institute and said the company was always trying to expand the covishield production capacity to meet demand.
Mr. Poonawalla met with Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah in Parliament and the meeting between the two lasted for 30 minutes. “The government helps us and we do not face the financial crisis. We thank the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for all cooperation and support,” Poonawala told the PTI news agency after his meeting.
When asked about vaccines for children, he said, “Covovax vaccine for children will be launched in the first quarter of the most likely next year in January-February.”
Mr. Poonawalla said he hoped for Covovax adults would be launched in October, depending on DCGI’s approval.
This will be a two-dose vaccine and the price will be decided at the launch, he added.
At Covishield production capacity, vaccines produced and supplied by serum in India with a license agreement with Oxford and AstraZeneca, he said the current capacity was 130 million doses per month and always tried to increase it further.
Previously on that day, Mr. Poonawalla also met Mansukh Mandaviya’s health minister.
The minister tweeted that he had a productive discussion about the supply of covishield vaccine with Poonawalla.
“I appreciate their role in mitigating # Covid19 & convincing sustainable government support in increasing vaccine production,” said Mrandaviya.
Last month, the Indian central drug authority panel recommended giving permission to the Indian Serum Institute (SII) to conduct a 2/3 Covovax phase test in children aged 2 to 17 years with certain conditions, previous official resources.
The trial will cover 920 children, each of which 460 in the age group 12-17 and 2-11 at 10 sites.
Pune-based pharmaceutical companies have submitted a revised protocol for the inclusion of pediatric cohorts in the ongoing Covovax phase 2 and 3 studies, randomized, controlled in Indian adults aged 18 years and over to determine the safety and immunogenicity of Jab.
In the revised application, Director of SII (Government Affairs and Regulation) Prakash Kumar Singh and Director Dr. Prasad Kulkarni has stated that globally, all adults aged 18 years and over are vaccinated and after this population is protected against Covid-L9, children will remain the most vulnerable group.
At present, only those aged 18 or above are eligible for vaccination against the Coronavirus.
SII is learned to notify that their collaborators, Novavax, Inc., the US has produced a large number of data in adults in various countries and that security, efficacy, and immunogenicity data on the Vast Novavax Covid-i9 vaccine that includes a database of safety more than 50000 Adults with data from Australia, South Africa, England and the US and initial safety data in 2248 children.
“Furthermore, in a 2/3 phase study in India, more than 1400 participants have received at least the first dose of vaccines without security issues reporting so far,” the application said.
“This will ensure that saving saving vaccines can be brought earlier for our pediatric population as well in addition to the adult population immediately after administering emergency use authorization.
SEC on June 30 has recommended to provide permission to SII to conduct phase 2 and 3 Covovax trials in children aged 2 to 17 years after the company has submitted a revised study protocol last week.
In August 2020, US NovaVax-based vaccine maker, Inc. has announced a license agreement with SII for the development and commercialization of NVX-COV2373, the Covid-19 vaccine
