Covishield Coronavirus Vaccine was developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University (File)
New Delhi:
The Oxford coronavirus vaccine will “protect 95% of patients” and is “as effective as the Pfizer and Moderna alternatives,” Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, told The Sunday Times, adding that scientists had discovered a “Winning formula” to be effective up there with everyone. “
However, AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant, has not yet released data confirming these claims. The intermediate results of the phase III studies launched last month showed an average efficacy rate of 70% for two dosing regimens. One of these regimens – half a dose followed by a full dose – showed 90% efficacy, while Pfizer data showed 95% and Moderna 94.5%.
Mr Soriot also said the vaccine, which could be phased out this week by the UK health regulator, “should be” effective against an aggressive strain of viruses first detected in London and the south-east of England in September.
The Oxford vaccine, which will be mass-produced in India by the Pune Serum Institute, is one of three drugs considered for emergency use authorization by the Indian government. The other two are those developed by Pfizer (which has already been launched in the United Kingdom, the United States and several European countries) and Covaxin from Bharat Biotech.
On Saturday, sources told the PTI news agency that DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) was waiting for the British regulator to eliminate the Oxford vaccine.
Given that Pfizer has not yet submitted its data and that Bharat Biotech has not yet completed its phase III studies, it is likely, the sources added, that AstraZeneca-Oxford will become the first Covid vaccine to be used in India. It also scores over rivals with at least two critical aspects – ease of storage and cost.
While the Pfizer vaccine should be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius and the Modern version at minus 20 degrees Celsius, the Oxford vaccine can be kept at normal refrigerator temperatures – two to eight degrees Celsius. The difference could be crucial for a country as big as India.
The Oxford vaccine is also expected to be cheaper than the Pfizer and Moderna options; it is likely to cost $ 2.5 per dose for $ 20 for Pfizer and $ 25 for Moderna. All three require a two-dose regimen.
The Indian government has begun preparing for the national launch of any vaccine that will be phased out first. On Monday and Tuesday, four states – Punjab, Gujarat, Assam and Andhra Pradesh – will take part in tests on the vaccination process.
India expects to start vaccination “any week” in January, said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. By Sunday morning, the country reported 2.79 lakh of active Covid cases. The total number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic in December last year is about 1.02 million.
With input from PTI