Thursday, March 28, 2024

Welcome news: India clears two new vaccines and a pill

In a major development, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the Serum Institute of India’s Covid-19 vaccine Covovax, Biological E’s jab Corbevax and anti-Covid pill Molnupiravir for restricted use in an emergency situation.

In a tweet, the minister said, “Congratulations India. Further strengthening the fight against Covid-19, CDSCO, @MoHFW_INDIA has given 3 approvals in a single day for: – CORBEVAX vaccine – COVOVAX vaccine – Anti-viral drug Molnupiravir For restricted use in an emergency situation”.

The Health minister also informed that the anti-viral drug Molnupiravir will be manufactured in India by 13 companies for restricted use under the emergency situation to treat adult patients with Covid-19 and who have a high risk of progression of the disease.

The Nanoparticle Vaccine, Covovax, will be manufactured by Pune-based firm Serum Institute of India, he said.

Prakash Kumar Singh, director, government and regulatory affairs at SII, had submitted an application to the DCGI in October for grant of market authorisation for Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had on December 17 issued an emergency use listing for Covovax, expanding the basket of jabs validated by the global health body against the viral disease.

Additionally, the United States Food and Drug Administration recently allowed Merck’s Molnupiravir for treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 cases. It must be noted that in a clinical trial of high-risk people during the early course of illness, Merck’s drug was shown to reduce hospitalisations and deaths by around 30 per cent.

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