NEW DELHI, Dec 31: V G Somani, Drug Controller General India (DCGI), on Thursday indicated that India was close to approving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking at a webinar organised by the union department of Biotechnology, Somani said “We will probably have a Happy New Year with something in hand,” while discussing the regulatory process as well as the participation by academicians, industry and infectious disease experts in working towards developing vaccine candidates.
On Friday, the Subject Expert Committee, an expert body of the DCGI, that is perusing applications by companies developing vaccines in India, is expected to review applications by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech (BB) for emergency use authorisation. Under this, companies are given permission to market the vaccine even if they haven’t furnished all the evidence normally required to establish the product’s safety and efficacy.
SII has partnered with AstraZeneca to bring to market the Oxford vaccine, which has been approved by health authorities in the United Kingdom on Wednesday. Both SII had BB are testing the vaccine in ongoing phases-3 trials in India, the results of which have not been publicised yet.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also given clear indications that an effective vaccine for Corona was on hand.
(Manas Dasgupta)