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By Aftab Ahmed and Nigam Prusty
NEW DELHI, Jan 3 (Reuters) - India's drugs regulator on
Sunday gave final approval for the emergency-use of two
coronavirus vaccines, one developed by AstraZeneca and
Oxford University and the other by local company Bharat Biotech.
The world's second most populous country is now expected to
start a massive immunisation programme within weeks, with the
AstraZeneca/Oxford shot taking the lead and Bharat Biotech's
COVAXIN administered under stricter conditions given no efficacy
data has been release for it.
The overall efficacy of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine was
70.42%, while Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN was "safe and provides a
robust immune response", Drugs Controller General of India V.G.
Somani said.
The British-developed AstraZeneca/Oxford shot is being made
locally by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and will be
branded COVISHIELD, while Bharat Biotech has teamed up with the
government-run Indian Council of Medical Research.
"Vaccines of M/s Serum and M/s Bharat Biotech are being
approved for restricted use in emergency situations," Somani
read out from a written statement at a press conference. Somani
did not take questions.
Both vaccines will be administered in two doses and stored
at 2-8° degrees Celsius (36 to 48°F), he said. Sources told
Reuters on Saturday the doses would have to be given four weeks
apart.
Somani explained that the Bharat Biotech vaccine had been
approved "in public interest as an abundant precaution, in
clinical trial mode, to have more options for vaccinations,
especially in case of infection by mutant strains".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the approvals.
"It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that
have been given emergency use approval are made in India!" he
said on Twitter, calling it a sign of a "self-reliant" country.
SII, the world's biggest vaccine producer, has already
stockpiled more than 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford
vaccine even without a formal supply deal with the government.
"All the risks @SerumInstIndia took with stockpiling the
vaccine, have finally paid off," CEO Adar Poonawalla said on
Twitter. "COVISHIELD, India's first COVID-19 vaccine, is
approved, safe, effective and ready to roll-out in the coming
weeks."
(Reporting by Aftab Ahmed and Nigam Prusty: Writing by Krishna
N. Das; Editing by Neil Fullick:)
