Good news! India likely to get COVID-19 vaccine soon - Read details here

An expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday (December 9) to review applications for the ememrgency-use approval of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.

Pfizer, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have filed applications seeking emergency use authorisation for their Covid-19 vaccine candidates.

The CDSCO decided to call the meeting after the Hyderabad-based pharma firm Bharat Biotech applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) seeking emergency use authorisation for its coronavirus vaccine Covaxin.

During the meeting, the experts will analyse the clinical trial data of Pfizer, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech and the effectiveness of vaccines developed by these companies, their side effects and trial size.

It may be recalled that on December 4 Pfizer India had sought permission from DGCI to market its vaccine in India. It is to be noted that Pfizer has already secured such clearance in the UK and Bahrain. Pfizer has claimed that its vaccine is over 90% effective against COVID-19.

Pune-based Serum Institute of India sought permission for its Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield on December 6. According to early data published by AstraZeneca-Oxford, its Covid-19 vaccine is 70 per cent effective on average.

ICMR had recently said that 40 million doses of the vaccine were already developed by SII under the at-risk manufacturing and stockpiling license it obtained from the DCGI.

Bharat Biotech launched its Phase 3 efficacy trial in mid-November.  The Hyderabad-based firm is developing the vaccine in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).

On December 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said during an all-party meeting that Covid-19 vaccine may be ready in a few weeks.