In a development that could boost India’s vaccination drive, Ahmedabad-based vaccine manufacturer Zydus Cadila has told the Centre that it could apply for emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D in the next seven to ten days, sources privy to the development have told India Today TV.

The vaccine has completed its phase three trails and around 28,000 volunteers were recruited for it.

Speaking about the development, Dr VK Paul, Member (health), Niti Aayog said, “Zydus Cadila is applying for emergency use authorisation soon. It is a unique vaccine and set to be become the world’s first DNA vaccine.”
The application for emergency use authorisation will be submitted to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

Last month, the vaccine manufacturer had said five crore doses of ZyCoV-D are likely to be available by August-September.

Apart from adults, Zydus Cadila is also conducting trials of its vaccine candidate among children aged 12-17 years. Based on the results, it is possible that ZyCoV-D vaccine may also be administered to children following DCGI approval.

If approved, ZyCoV-D will be the fourth vaccine to be used in India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive after Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V.

Earlier in April, Zydus Cadila announced that its drug Virafin had received restricted emergency use approval from the Drug Controller General of India for the treatment of mild cases of Covid-19.

What you should know about ZyCoV-D

Zydus Cadila’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D is India’s first indigenously developed DNA vaccine candidate. It is to be administered via intradermal injection.

The vaccine candidate has to be stored between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. However, it remains stable even at room temperature.

The vaccine is made in India and the company plans to ramp up the vaccine’s production to 3-4 crore doses per month. It is already in talks with two other manufacturing companies for the same.