Serum Institute likely to seek permission for selling Covishield commercially: Report

New Delhi: Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), that is manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine, may apply for ‘marketing authorisation’ for Covishield, as per a business daily report. If granted permission, SII will be able to to sell the vaccine commercially.

Serum Institute might seek permission for selling Covishield commercially from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) by the end of April, Business Standard reported. Covishield is developed by British Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. 

India has approved two vaccines against COVID-19 -- Covishield, manufactured by the SII, and the indigenously-developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech -- for restricted emergency use in the country.

As on April 4, India's coronavirus cases remained unabated as 93,249 new infections were recorded on Sunday, the highest single-day rise since September 19, with the Centre attributing it to a severe decline in the compliance of COVID-appropriate behaviour, pandemic fatigue and lack of effective implementation of containment measures.

The Centre said that a special campaign for COVID-appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100 percent mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places, workplaces and health facilities will be organised between April 6-14.

As India races to contain the fresh wave of COVID-19, five states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal have carried out over 43 percent of the total vaccinations in the country, according to the Health Ministry data. Of the total 7,59,79,651 vaccinations carried out till now, 3,33,10,437 were carried out in these five states.

With PTI Inputs