The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to Covovax, the coronavirus vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in partnership with the US-based Novavax. With an aim to increase access to vaccination in lower-income countries, this is the ninth COVID-19 vaccine WHO has listed for emergency use.
“Today, the World Health Organization issued and emergency use listing (EUL) for NVX-CoV2373, expanding the basket of WHO-validated vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine, named CovovaxTM, is produced by the Serum Institute of India under licence from Novavax and is part of the COVAX facility portfolio, giving a much-needed boost to ongoing efforts to vaccinate more people in lower-income countries,” the global health organisation said in a statement
Announcing the development, Adar Poonawalla, CEO, SII said, “This is yet another milestone in our fight against COVID-19, Covovax is now WHO. approved for emergency use, showing excellent safety and efficacy.”
On June 25, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said Serum Insitutue began manufacturing the first batch of Covovax, a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax Inc.
“Excited to witness the first batch of Covovax [developed by @Novavax] being manufactured this week at our facility in Pune. The vaccine has great potential to protect our future generations below the age of 18. Trials are ongoing. Well done team @seruminstindia,” Adar Poonawalla said in a tweet.
Adar Poonawalla had in March said that the clinical trials of Covovax have begun in India and the company hopes to launch it by September this year.
