Serum Institute says claims surrounding COVID-19 vaccine COVISHIELD's availability in 73 days are false
Serum Institute of India (SSI), which has entered a manufacturing partnership with AstraZeneca to produce Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, has denied reports that the shot may be launched in 73 days as “completely false and conjectural”. The Pune-based institute has said that Covishield, the Oxford University-Astra Zeneca vaccine candidate, will be commercialized once trials are proven successful and requisite regulatory approvals are in place.
"Serum Institute of India clarifies that the current claims over COVISHIELD's availability, in the media are completely false and conjectural. Presently, government has granted us permission to only manufacture the vaccine and stockpile it for future use," SII said.
"COVISHIELD will be commercialized once trials are proven successful and requisite regulatory approvals are in place.
Phase-3 trials for Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are underway and only once the vaccine is proven immunogenic and efficacious, Serum Institute will confirm its availability officially, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer said.
Meanwhile, medical research body ICMR will soon launch a covid vaccine website which will provide information related to the COVID-19 vaccine development in India and abroad, with majority of the updates in several regional languages in addition to English.
Serum Institute has registered for Phase II and III clinical trials on Covishield with the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI). The trials will be conducted on 1,600 healthy participants across India.
It has struck a production and clinical trials deal with AstraZeneca for the AZD1222 vaccine, which has till now been tested in the most number of people among the close to 200 options across the world. The company had entered into a partnership with Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to speed up the manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for India and sevetal low- and middle-income countries.
India’s drugs controller had given approval to SII for conducting Phase II and III clinical trials of the vaccine candidate in the country on August 3.
