New Delhi: Expanding India’s vaccine basket, the Central Drug Authority has approved the Serum Institute of India’s Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covovax’, Biological E’s jab ‘Corbevax’ and anti-Covid pill ‘Molnupiravir’ for restricted use in emergency situation. The announcement by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya came Tuesday. It was a day after the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on Covid-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recommended granting emergency use authorisation (EUA) to the Covid-19 vaccines Covovax and Corbevax with certain conditions.
It also had recommended granting restricted emergency use approval to the drug Molnupiravir for treatment of adult patients with Covid-19 and who have high risk of progression of the disease.
In a tweet, Mansukh Mandaviya said, “Congratulations India. Further strengthening the fight against Covid-19, CDSCO, @MoHFW_INDIA has given 3 approvals in a single day for: – CORBEVAX vaccine – COVOVAX vaccine – Anti-viral drug Molnupiravir For restricted use in emergency situation.”
With this approval, the number of Covid-19 vaccines which have received emergency use authorisation in India has increased to eight.
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Six Covid-19 vaccines – Serum Institute’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D, Russia’s Sputnik V and the US-made Moderna and Johnson and Johnson – had already received EUA from the Indian drug regulator earlier.
“Corbevax vaccine is India’s 1st indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against #COVID19, Made by Hyderabad-based firm Biological-E. It’s a hat-trick! It’s now 3rd vaccine developed in India,” Mandaviya said in another tweet.
The Nanoparticle Vaccine, Covovax, will be manufactured by SII, Mandaviya said.
“Molnupiravir, an ant-iviral drug, will now be manufactured in the country by 13 companies for restricted use under emergency situation for treatment of adult patients with Covid-19 and who have high risk of progression of the disease,” Mandaviya said in another tweet.
The minister said the approvals will further strengthen the global fight against the pandemic.
