Covid-19 crisis: Six more vaccines to hit Indian markets soon

Russian Sputnik V vaccine has arrived in India and will be priced at Rs 995.40

Over 200 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be available in India between August and December. While Covishield and Covaxin manufacturers have ramped up production, more options are coming into the vaccine market in India to help inoculate the entire country as soon as possible.

The Press Information Bureau has tweeted a list of six upcoming Covid-19 vaccines in India. Here’s the list below:

Sputnik V vaccine

Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine has arrived in India and will be available in the market from next week. The vaccine will be priced at Rs 995.40 in India. The vaccine has an efficacy rate of 91.6 per cent against the Covid-19 virus.

At least 15.6 crore doses of the vaccine are expected to be produced from July in Dr Reddy's Laboratories, the Indian partner of the Russian vaccine.

ZyCoV-D

Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila is expecting to hit the market with its three-dose Covid-19 vaccine from June. The vaccine is in its second phase of trials. After the efficacy rate of the vaccine is found out, the company will apply for an Emergency Use Authorisation, according to Sharvil Patel, managing director, Zydus Group, in ThePrint’s report.

The company is expecting to produce 24 crore doses in a year.

Bio E Sub vaccine

Biological E, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, is collaborating with Baylor College of Medicine, Texas in making the Bio E Sub Vaccine. It is a two-dose vaccine that has to be taken 28 days apart. Currently, the vaccine is in its third phase of trial.

The company is expecting to start producing 75-80 million doses every month starting from August at a very affordable price.

Novavax

The Serum Institute of India (SII) is coming up with an indigenous version of the Novavax vaccine, called Covovax. The clinical features of the vaccine are very similar to that of Novavax. However, SII is yet to demonstrate that to the Indian government. The second and third-phase clinical trials have started on May 5 with 1,600 participants above 18 years at 15 centres.

Covovax is a protein-based Covid-19 vaccine with an efficacy rate of 89 per cent. It is expected to be launched in September.

BB Nasal vaccine

Unlike other Covid-19 vaccines, Bharat Biotech is developing a needle-free, single-shot vaccine. The company has claimed that it is safe for adults as well as children. This does not need trained healthcare workers to administer the shot.

The vaccine is in its first and second trial phases and expects to deliver 10 crore doses by December 2021.

Gennova mRNA vaccine

Like the Pzifer and Moderna vaccines, Pune's Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is also developing a messenger RNA vaccine against the Covid-19 virus. The company is working on this in collaboration with HDT Biotech Corporation, Seattle, USA.

The vaccine can be stored at 2-8 degree celsius temperature, unlike Pzifer and Moderna.