The second most populous country in the world has approved two coronavirus vaccines, one of which is AZD1222 developed by AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN) in collaboration with the University of Oxford. On Sunday, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) granted emergency use approval for AZD1222 (known as Covishield in India) and Covaxin, a vaccine developed by the Indian company Bharat Biotech.
This is the second largest regulatory authorization for AZD1222 within a week. Last Wednesday, the UK health regulator granted similar approval for emergency use.
Image source: Getty Images.
AstraZeneca / Oxford should be able to deploy its vaccine quickly in India. The vaccine is being produced by the Serum Institute of India, which is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world. According to the institute, it can produce more than 50 million doses per month.
As with other coronavirus vaccines that have recently been approved in major markets, AZD 1222 is administered in two doses. These are separated anywhere with four to 12 weeks apart.
It does have a significant advantage over its rivals, however, because it can be stored at temperatures like an ordinary household refrigerator. Pfizer and BioNTechBNT162b2 requires storage in much colder environments, and ModernMRNA-1273 also has remarkable low temperature storage requirements.
This AZD1222 refrigerator-keeping feature is ideal for India, parts of which can reach three-digit degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
Neither AstraZeneca nor the University officially commented on the approval in India. The BBC cited the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, as describing him as “a decisive turning point” in his fight against the coronavirus.