Covid Vaccines To be Reviewed As Per The Approval Requests By 3 Firms

An expert panel for Covid Vaccine will review the request of 3 firms; Serum Institute of India, Pfizer and Bharat Biotech

On Monday,  Bharat Biotech firm based in Hyderabad became the third firm to put a request for approval of its vaccine Covaxin, according to officials, India's first indigenous drug for the highly infectious virus. American Pfizer firm was the first to submit its application last week to the DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India), followed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

After reviewing vaccines in the presence of experts, the  panel will share its observations with the drug regulator, as per sources. An emergency use approval of the drug can be granted after evidence and will ensure  that the medical product is safe and effective for use. Final approval is granted only after completion of the trials and analysis of full data which will be beneficial for authenticity.

Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker, is developing its vaccine in a large quantity for the Indians covid patients. Along with Covishield the University of Oxford and British drugmaker AstraZeneca. Last month, AstraZeneca had allegedly an interim analysis of clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the UK and Brazil showed that it was only 70 per cent effective on average, adding it is up to 90 per cent effective as per the analysis of data.

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom became the first country to clear the Covid-19 developed jointly by Pfizer and German biotechnology partnered with BioNTech, which has shown a 95 per cent efficiency in the third stage of trials.

Experts have reportedly advised about logistical challenges linked to the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be stored and transported at the temperature of 70 degrees Celsius. However, the pharma firm has asserted it's prepared to overcome these hurdles because the acceleration in cases during pandemic.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who took a single dose of Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech in the third state of trials, stated on Saturday, he had tested positive for coronavirus. The vaccine maker later clarified that Covaxin has been effective if a person takes two doses. "Covaxin clinical trials are based on a 2-dose schedule, given 28 days apart. The vaccine efficacy will be determined 14 days post the 2nd dose," said Hyderabad firm officials. India has logged 96.7 lakh Covid infections so far becoming the second highest in the world after the United States, and 1.4 lakh patients died due to Covid pandemic.