Bharat Biotech, the Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm, has sought approval from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use of its indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate – Covaxin, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.
The vaccine is being developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and is claimed to be at least 60 percent effective. Bharat Biotech had started the phase 3 trials earlier in November with 26,000 volunteers across 22 sites in India, making it the largest COVID-19 clinical trial in the country.
On Sunday, the Serum Institute of India (SII) became the first Indian company to seek emergency use authorisation for the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine from the central drug regulator.
Before that, the Indian arm of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer had sought approval for its vaccine from DCGI, after the firm secured such clearance in the UK and Bahrain, PTI reported.
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