BENGALURU (INDIA) – Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, said on Thursday it has made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca’s potential COVID-19 vaccine. It was added that it would soon begin making Novavax’s rival shot, as both of them have sought regulatory approval.
Serum said that 1,600 participants in India have been enrolled for late-stage trials of AstraZeneca’s candidate. It also plans to seek regulatory approval to run late-stage trials for the Novavax vaccine.
Serum said that the AstraZeneca vaccine, co-developed by Oxford University, has been the most advanced in terms of human testing in India, adding that the company and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will pursue “early availability” of the shot in India.
However, representatives for both Serum and the ICMR did not divulge whether the 40 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were meant for supply only in India.
The ICMR, a federal government body, had provided the clinical trial site fees for the AstraZeneca vaccine, Serum said. Currently, mid-stage clinical trials of the shot has been conducted at 15 centres across India, as per the company and the ICMR.
India also has at least two home-based COVID-19 vaccine candidates in developing stage, while local drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Labs is carrying out a trial in the country for Russia’s vaccine candidate.