Plan to launch Novavax COVID vaccine for children in 6 months: SII CEO Adar Poonawalla
The Pune-based firm had submitted interim safety and immunogenicity data of phase 2/3 bridging clinical trials conducted in the country as well as interim clinical trial data of safety and efficacy from phase 3 clinical trials conducted in the UK and the US along with its application.
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FollowNew Delhi: Serum Institute of India (SII) plans to launch the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine for children in the country in six months, CEO Adar Poonawalla said, Reuters reported, adding global vaccine supplies were outstripping the absorption capacity of many countries.
The vaccine, which SII calls Covovax, has shown good results in trials in children aged three and older, Adar Poonawalla told an industry conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry. “Our vaccine will be launched in six months,” he said. “It is under trial and has shown excellent data all the way down to the age group of 3.”
Earlier PTI had reported an expert panel of India’s Central Drug Authority, which recently reviewed Serum Institute's application seeking emergency authorisation of Covid-19 vaccine Covovax, has sought additional data from the firm while noting the jab has not yet been approved in the country of origin.
The Pune-based firm had submitted interim safety and immunogenicity data of phase 2/3 bridging clinical trials conducted in the country as well as interim clinical trial data of safety and efficacy from phase 3 clinical trials conducted in the UK and the US along with its application.
Apart from the Novavax vaccine that it has already exported to countries such as Indonesia, SII also makes the AstraZeneca and Sputnik shots. SII’s monthly output of the AstraZeneca vaccine has nearly quadrupled since April to 250 million doses, and it has announced plans to temporarily halve that production due to weak demand.
In August 2020, US-based vaccine maker Novavax, Inc had announced a license agreement with SII for the development and commercialisation of NVX-CoV2373, its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, in low and middle-income countries and India.
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