Bangalore, 17 September 2020: Here is the good news on Covid-19 fight from four key ABLE member companies. The Serum Institute of India, got the approval from the regulator, DCGI to resume the phase 2 clinical trials of Covidshield and Bharat Biotech reported good protective results of its Covaxin in animal trials and the vaccine showed good immune response.

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will start Phase 3 clinical trials of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik-V in India and the company will make initially 100 million doses of the vaccine if Indian regulators approve the result. Aurobindo Pharma has announced it will do clinical development and manufacture of a COVID-19 vaccine, developed by three CSIR laboratories---Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology(CCMB), Hyderabad, the Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, and the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata—on different vaccine platforms. Aurobindo Pharma will also use its US-based subsidiary, Auro Vaccines, in the vaccine development that has been approved for funding assistance by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) of Government of India.

Top it all, US vaccine major Novavax has announced that it has doubled its order to Serum Institute to manufacture 2 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine that is now undergoing Phase 2 trials globally. In addition, Serum will also manufacture the adjuvant for the Novavax for its global supply chain.

Now the news in detail. The clinical trials of the Oxford University vaccine, developed jointly with AstraZeneca was suspended last week due to a reported adverse effect on a patient in UK. After reviewing the data Indian regulator, DCGI ( Drug Controller General of India) too gave the approval to restart the vaccine trial in India this week.

Developed by Gamaleya National Research Institute, the Russian vaccine is being administered to citizens on a large scale. The Russian sovereign wealth fund, RDIF( Russian Direct Investment Fund) has facilitated the agreement with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories to bring the vaccine to India.

More details of all these vaccines are reported in separate reports on our website, www.ableindia.in

 

This week, four ABLE member companies have brought good news to the country on the COVID-19 vaccine development front.