India has approved two more new COVID-19 vaccines: Covovax and Corbevax and anti-COVID-19 pill Molnupiravir for restricted use in an emergency situation, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Tuesday.
The announcement comes a day after the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recommended granting emergency use authorization (EUA) to the COVID-19 vaccines Covovax and Corbevax with certain conditions, according to PTI news agency.
It also had recommended granting restricted emergency use approval to the drug Molnupiravir for treatment of adult patients with COVID-19 and who have a high risk of progression of the disease.
“Further strengthening the fight against Covid-19, CDSCO, health ministry has given 3 approvals in a single day for CORBEVAX vaccine, COVOVAX vaccine, anti-viral drug Molnupiravir for restricted use in an emergency situation,” Mansukh Mandaviya reported through Twitter.
“Corbevax vaccine is India’s 1st indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against #COVID19, Made by Hyderabad-based firm Biological-E. It’s a hat-trick! It’s now 3rd vaccine developed in India,” Mandaviya said in another tweet. The Nanoparticle Vaccine, Covovax, will be manufactured by Pune-based firm Serum Institute of India, he said.
“Molnupiravir, an antiviral drug, will now be manufactured in the country by 13 companies for restricted use under emergency situation for treatment of adult patients with COVID-19 and who have high risk of progression of the disease,” Mandaviya said.
With this approval, the number of COVID-19 vaccines which have received emergency use authorization in the country has increased to eight. Six COVID-19 vaccines — Serum Institute’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D, Russia’s Sputnik V, and the US-made Moderna and Johnson and Johnson — had already received EUA from the Indian drug regulator earlier.
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