MUMBAI: Pharma major
Zydus Cadila
said on Wednesday it has started supplying its Covid-19 vaccine
ZyCoV-D to the Centre, nearly six months after it had been authorised for emergency use in the 12 and above age group.
It is a three-dose Plasmid DNA vaccine injected intradermally or in the skin with the painless PharmaJet needle-free system called Tropis. After the first dose, the next two have to be taken on Day 28 and Day 56, the company said. Each jab costs Rs 265 plus Rs 93 for the needle-free applicator, excluding GST.
“We faced teething troubles in the equipment and at the newly-commissioned plant,
Zydus
Vaccine Technology Excellence Centre (VTEC) in Ahmedabad. Hence the delivery was delayed," a company official explained the reason of the delayed rollout that was expected to take place by last December.
Coronavirus live updatesThe company received in November an order from the Centre for 1 crore or 10 million doses at Rs 358 for each dose.
ZyCoV-D adds to the three vaccines in use in India—Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V. Currently, only Covaxin is given to children. Two more shots (Covovax and Corbevax) are in the pipeline, having received the Drug Controller General of India’s clearance last year for emergency use.
Zydus VTEC manufactures the drug substance for the needle-free DNA Plasmid vaccine, which "produces the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response" in the human body, thereby playing a vital role in "protection from disease as well as viral clearance".
The company will supply to the government first and gradually make the vaccine available for private players, if and when the authorities give the clearance, the official said.
Zydus has a contract with
Shilpa Medicare
to produce
ZyCoV-D.
The company also has an agreement with Enzychem Lifesciences of South Korea for the manufacturing licence and technology transfer of the Plasmid DNA vaccine.
Wednesday’s announcement took the company’s stocks to a high of Rs 417.8 per share and it closed at Rs 414.5—1.89% higher than Tuesday’s closing price.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.A business journalist with around two decades of experience track...
Read MoreA business journalist with around two decades of experience tracking key consumer-focussed sectors like consumer durables, retail, consumer goods, aviation, automobiles and advertising, as well as economic ministries of the Union government. Now, writes primarily on pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and on issues of consumer interest. Besides also looks at trends that are shaping consumer behaviour and the broad consumer landscape. \nYou can follow Rupali on Twitter@Rupalijee.
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