DCGI approves Cadila Healthcare's ZyCoV-D COVID vaccine for all above 12 years of age
image for illustrative purpose
Cadila Healthcare (Zydus Cadila) received Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for ZyCoV-D, the world's first and India's indigenously developed DNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 to be administered in humans including children above 12 years of age and adults.
The vaccine has to be administered in three doses – the first dose, and the remaining doses after 28 and 56 days.
"This three-dose vaccine which when injected produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response, which plays a vital role in protection from disease as well as viral clearance. The plug-and-play technology on which the plasmid DNA platform is based can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring," said a release from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Interim results from Phase-III Clinical Trials, in over 28,000 volunteers, showed primary efficacy of 66.6 percent for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases. This has been the largest vaccine trial so far in India for COVID-19.
The vaccine was developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, under the 'Mission COVID Suraksha' and implemented by BIRAC. ZyCoV-D has been supported under COVID-19 Research Consortia through National Biopharma Mission for Preclinical studies, Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials and under the Mission COVID Suraksha for Phase III Clinical Trial.