ZyCoV-D COVID-19 vaccine showed an efficacy rate of 66.6 per cent. (File)
There will be more clarity on the prices of COVID-19 vaccine ZyCOV-D by next week, Zydus Group Managing Director Dr Sharvil Patel said today.
The Ahmedabad-based pharma company has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for ZyCOV-D, the world's first and India's indigenously developed DNA-based vaccine for COVID-19, meant for adults and children aged 12 years and above.
The vaccine was approved for "restricted use in emergency situation" by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
Mr Patel said, "The supply of vaccine will begin by mid-September and from October onwards, the supply will be scaled up to one crore doses per month."
"There will be more clarity about the price of the ZyCOV-D vaccine by next week," he added.
As ZyCOV-D has received emergency use authorisation (EUA) approval, the pharma company is aiming to increase the production of the vaccine up to 1 crore doses per month from October with the help of the new production plant.
"ZyCOV-D is a three-dose vaccine... the second dose will be on 28th day and then the last dose on 56th day. This vaccine is approved for adults and adolescents above the age of 12," he said.
"The company also plans to seek approval for the two-dose regimen of the vaccine," Mr Patel added.
Mr Patel said the company will supply 4-5 crore doses per month by January 2022.
"We can scale up production of a vaccine to 1 crore a month from October at the new production plant and it is expected to supply 4-5 million doses till January 2022," the Zydus Group's Managing Director said.
ZyCoV-D showed an efficacy rate of 66.6 per cent in a late-stage trial of over 28,000 volunteers nationwide. The vaccine is needle-free and is to be administered intradermally.