Zydus Life Sciences, previously known as Cadila Healthcare’s vaccine, ZyCov-D, a three-dose Covid Vaccine, has been authorized by the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) for a two-dose regimen.
The three-dose Covid vaccine from the pharmaceutical company Zydus LiveScience which was initially known as Cadila Healthcare, has been sanctioned for a two-dose regime by the subject expert committee (SEC). However, there has been no feedback from their end for the same. This vaccine may take over the private market once it has been sanctioned and made available. After SII’s Covishield, Bharat Infotech’s Covaxin, Sputnik V, and US-made Moderna, GyCoV-D will be the next vaccine to be coming into the markets. Along with being the first DNA vaccine to get emergency approval in India, ZyCoV-D will also be the world’s first DNA vaccine to get approval.
Efficacy of the ZyCoV-D Vaccine
Last year Zydus suggested taking the drug regulator’s confirmation for the two-dose regime for its Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D, which had shown 66.6% potency during the interim Phase 3 Clinical trials and can be stored for three months at 25 degrees Celsius.Zydus had maintained that no moderate case of Covid was seen in the patients once they were administered with the third dose of this vaccine, and this showed 100% effectiveness. It had even claimed zero deaths after the second dose of the vaccine.
Zydus had submitted data that immunity was maintained with a two-dose regimen using 3-milligram doses of the vaccine at the same duration of a three-dose system. This vaccine is a DNA plasmid drug, which is a new concept to the conventional vaccines that are made from a fragile form of an infectious agent.
Pricing Policy for the Vaccine
Administering the ZyCoV-D vaccine is different from the usual traditional needles as it is given through PharmaJet – a without needle applicator. This type of injection guarantees a pain-free intradermal administration. This method prevents any major side effects. There is no confirmation on the pricing of this vaccine. The Union Government had given an order to Zydus for one crore dose at Rs 265 per dose without the jet applicator and GST. The needle-free applicator is for Rs 93 per dose.
The pricing decided by the government for the full dose of the Zydus Covid vaccine is Rs 1,128, and this is more expensive than the Covishield or the Covaxin. This vaccine is costly due to its intradermal way of administering it.
Information on the Clinical Trials of the ZyCoV-D Vaccine
The Zydus vaccine generates the spike protein of the SARS-COVID 1 virus and evokes an immune response adjusted by the cellular (T lymphocytes immunity) and humoral arms (antibody immunity) of a human immune system.
The company held the largest clinical trial for the Covid vaccine in India in more than 50 centers. In India, it was the first vaccine that was tested in the population in the age group of 12 to 18 years. More than 1000 people were tested in this age group, and the vaccine was found to be harmless and without any side effects. Even the adult population had the same adequacy level. During the initial analysis, the efficacy level was 66.6%, as seen through the RT-PCR.
There were no moderate cases of Covid disease once the third dose was given, suggesting 100% efficiency of the vaccine. ZyCoV-D is a three-dose intradermally inserted painless needle-free vaccine. Stored at 2-8 degrees centigrade but stable till 25-degree temperatures for 6 months, it is administeredon day 0, on day 28, and day 56. During the peak of the second wave, vaccine trials were carried out over 28,000 healthy adult people across the country at 50 sites.
