Serum Institute of India (SII) is speeding up production of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine (AZD1222), aiming to produce 100 million doses by December for vaccination of the entire country after approval by New Delhi.
SII is waiting for final-stage trial data, if AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate is giving effective protection from the virus, the Serum Institute of India, which is partnered to produce at least one billion doses might get an emergency authorization from New Delhi by December, said Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, SII.
AstraZeneca trial has been put on hold two times after a vaccinated person died and a woman in the UK experienced neurological symptoms consistent with a rare but serious spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis. The trial resumed on 23 October 2020, in the US, UK, Brazil, South Africa, and Japan confirming that it was safe to do so.
AZD1222 was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
