World's 1st DNA Plasmid Covid vaccine, ZyCoV-D gets govt nod

New Delhi: ZyCoV-D, a three-dose Covid-19 vaccine by Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical firm Cadila Healthcare (Zydus Cadila), was on Friday recommended by the Indian drug regulator's subject expert committee (SEC) for its emergency use approval in the country.

According to reports, the drug regulator has asked Zydus to submit additional data for the two-dose regimen of its vaccine against coronavirus infection. If approved by the national drugs regulator, Zydus Cadila's vaccine will be the second homegrown jab to get emergency authorisation in India after Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

Zydus Cadila had earlier said that they can launch their three-dose plasmid DNA Covid-19 vaccine within two months of receiving the approval.

KEY POINTS

• If approved, ZyCov-D will be the world's first plasmid DNA vaccine for human use against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• Unlike most other coronavirus vaccines, which need two doses for full immunity, ZyCoV-D is administered in three doses.

• Zydus claims that its vaccine is 66.6 per cent effective against symptomatic coronavirus cases and 100 per cent for moderate Covid-19. It also said the vaccine is safe for children between 12 and 18 years of age.

• The firm had applied for the authorisation of the vaccine ZyCoV-D on July 1, based on an efficacy rate of 66.6% in a late-stage trial of more than 28,000 volunteers nationwide.

• ZyCov-D, which is being developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius and at 25 degrees Celsius for up to three months.

• Once approved, it will be an intra-dermal (between skin and muscles) vaccine administered through a specialised needle-free injector. The currently licensed coronavirus vaccines are administered intra-muscularly.

• ZyCoV-D is India's first DNA plasmid vaccine which was developed at Ahmedabad's Vaccine Technology Centre.

What is a DNA Plasmid vaccine?

DNA plasmid is a relatively new vaccine technology and is also considered cost-effective for scaling up. Cells have DNAs in their chromosomes and outside the chromosomes in a form called plasmids. It works by injecting genetically engineered plasmids that trigger the body to produce antibodies and immune response to protect against the virus.