Covishield-maker Serum Institute applies to begin trials of its second COVID-19 vaccine Covovax

Serum Institute to begin trial of second Covid-19 vaccine: Makers of Covishield vaccine Serum Institute of India (SII) informed on Sunday that the Pune-based firm has applied to begin trials for another Covid-19 vaccine – Covovax. SII’s CEO Adar Poonawalla informed in a tweet that Serum Institute has applied to start the trials of another COVID-19 vaccine which it hopes to launch by June 2021.

In a tweet, Poonawalla said, “Our partnership for a COVID-19 vaccine with @Novavax has also published excellent efficacy results. We have also applied to start trials in India. Hope to launch #COVOVAX by June 2021!”

Our partnership for a COVID-19 vaccine with @Novavax has also published excellent efficacy results. We have also applied to start trials in India. Hope to launch #COVOVAX by June 2021!

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— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 30, 2021

SII will be producing Covovax in partnership with Novovax Inc. The announcement comes a day after Novovax Inc said that its Covid-19 vaccine Covovax was 89.3% effective in preventing Covid-19 in a trial conducting in the United Kingdom. Novovax also stated that in the preliminary analysis Covovax proved to be effective in providing protection against the highly-contagious UK-variant of Coronavirus.

Also Read | Novavax vaccine seems effective against COVID-19, says British study

Serum’s Covishield vaccine, which was jointly developed by the University of Oxford and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, was among the first Coronavirus vaccines in the world to gain approvals for mass inoculation.

Among other countries, India too has procured over 1 crore doses of Covishield vaccine for what is the world’s largest inoculation drive.

Announcement of another #COVID19 vaccine, #COVOVAX from our CEO, @adarpoonawalla https://t.co/DAfyiQDNZc

— SerumInstituteIndia (@SerumInstIndia) January 30, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16 and declared that nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers would get the Coronavirus vaccine on priority.