Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Wednesday, February 2, said it has commenced supplies of its COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D to the Union government. The company has initiated the supply as per the order placed by the government, the drug firm said in a statement. The group is also planning to make the vaccine available in the private market, it added. ZyCoV-D is the first vaccine cleared by India's drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above. ZyCoV-D is a three-dose vaccine administered intradermally.
"The vaccine will be priced at Rs 265 per dose and the applicator being offered at Rs 93 per dose, excluding GST," Zydus Cadila said.
The Ahmedabad-based drugmaker has also entered into a definitive agreement with Shilpa Medicare Ltd, a contract manufacturing organisation, to produce mutually agreeable doses of ZyCoV-D. It has also entered into an agreement with Enzychem Lifesciences of the Republic of Korea for the manufacturing license and technology transfer for the Plasmid DNA Vaccine, Zydus Cadila noted.
ZyCoV-D is a Plasmid DNA vaccine that produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response mediated by the cellular and humoral arms of the human immune system, which plays a vital role in protection from disease as well as viral clearance.
The three doses of ZyCoV-D are to be administered 28 days apart, with each dose comprising a shot in both arms. ZyCoV-D received emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator on August 20, 2021.
For administering to adults, frontline workers and vaccinators will be provided with a brief training for using the needle-free pharma jet application in actual field settings.
The Union government had in November 2021 placed a purchase order with the Ahmedabad-based firm for one crore doses for ZyCoV-D. At the time, company officials had told the Union Health Ministry that Zydus Cadila is in a position to provide one crore doses of ZyCoV-D per month.