TWO MORE VACCINES AND A DRUG JOIN INDIA’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 #New covid vaccine #aprroved

India has approved two more vaccines under emergency use authorisation and an antiviral drug, Molnupiravir. Currently, India uses Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V in its vaccination programme.

Corbevax to be made by Hyderabad-based Biological-E is a protein sub-unit vaccine and Covovax, to be manufactured by Serum Institute of India.

Corbevax is co-developed by Biological E, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, United States, and American company Dynavax Technologies.

Covovax is produced by the Serum Institute of India under licence from Novavax, a U.S.-based biotechnology company. Covovax has been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) under its Emergency Use Listing and, therefore, will also be available globally as part of the COVAX initiative to ensure that

at least 40% of world is vaccinated on priority.

Molnupiravir, that was approved this month by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (U.S. FDA), on the heels of Paxlovid by Pfizer Inc, is said to be a promising drug for those with mild and

moderate disease and also easily administered as a pill. Thirteen companies in India are set to manufacture this drug. It has been approved under emergency use authorisation for treating adults with COVID-19 “who have high risk of progression to disease”.

Cipla, one of the licensee, said in a statement that it planned to launch Molnupiravir under the brand name Cipmolnu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that from January 3 those aged 15-17 would be eligible for Covaxin. Healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 60 with comorbidities who have

already got two shots will be eligible for a third dose from January 10.

RESTRICTED EMERGENCY USE OF ANTI-COVID PILL MOLNUPIRAVIR

An expert panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recommended granting permission to manufacture and market anti-COVID pill Molnupiravir for restricted emergency use for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country.

The emergency use of the drug will be for adult COVID-19 patients with SpO2 93% and who have a high risk of progression of the disease including hospitalisation or death subject to certain conditions.

SpO2 93% According to a World Health Organisation training manual on pulse oximetry, if the oxygen saturation is 94% or lower, the patient needs to be treated quickly. A saturation of less than 90% is a clinical emergency.

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in consortium with Cipla, Mylan, Torrent, Emcure and Sun Pharma had presented their proposal for approval of Molnupiravir 200mg capsules for approval in the emergency situation along with various supporting documents including clinical data in the country.