Zydus Cadila’s Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D likely to be launched in early October, say sources

Indigenously developed Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D last month received approval for Emergency Use Authorisation from the drug regulator, making it the first vaccine in India which would be administered in the age group of 12-18 years.

Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V vaccines are being given to only those above 18 years and unlike ZyCoV-D, which is three-dose, these are administered in two doses.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) had earlier said that ZyCoV-D is the world’s first DNA-based vaccine against Covid-19 and 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 the disease as well as viral clearance.

It said that interim results from Phase-III clinical trials in over 28,000 volunteers showed primary efficacy of 66.6 per cent for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases. This has been the largest vaccine trial so far in India for COVID-19, the DBT said.

The Covid-19 vaccine had already exhibited robust immunogenicity and tolerability and safety profile in the adaptive phase one and two clinical trials. Both Phase one/two and Phase three clinical trials have been monitored by an independent data safety monitoring board, the DBT added.