New Delhi: After Pfizer and Serum Institute, Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech applied Monday to the central drug regulator seeking emergency use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’, official sources said. The COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ is being indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an all-party meeting December 4 had expressed hope that a COVID-19 vaccine may be ready in a few weeks. That same evening, the Indian arm of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer sought emergency use approval for its vaccine from the central drug regulator, after the firm secured such clearance in the UK and Bahrain.
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The Serum Institute of India sought such nod for the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine, ‘Covishield’, December 6.
The applications of Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute of India and Pfizer will be reviewed by the subject expert committee (SEC) on COVID-19 at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in the coming days.
“However, none of the applications has so far been forwarded to the committee. No date has been fixed as on when the SEC will meet for assessing and evaluating the applications,” the official source said.
As long as that does not happen, the entire country will be fervently praying that all the three vaccines get the necessary regulatory approval. People all over the world are just hoping that vaccination starts as quickly as possible. The United Kingdom is all set to start vaccination Tuesday with 50 centres being set up across various parts of England.