Covid-19 vaccine: SII’s Covishield approved by expert panel for emergency use

New Delhi: India’s drug regulator on Friday granted emergency use of Coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca for emergency use.

The Oxford COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).

The expert committee of Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for vetting vaccine proposals, met for the second time this week and recommended emergency approval for Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Pune-based SII, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has tie-up with AstraZeneca to manufacture Covishield vaccine which was developed by scientists at Oxford University.

The emergency use authorisation comes days after UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the Oxford vaccine produced by AstraZeneca for human use in the UK.

SII, Bharat Biotech, and Pfizer have applied to the DCGI seeking emergency use authorisation for their COVID-19 vaccine candidates, reports said.

Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its Covaxin.

Meanwhile, a dry run of all vaccines is set to begin in all the states from tomorrow.