India approves world's first DNA based 3 shot COVID vaccine ZyCoV-D

India: Indian drug regulator has issued emergency authorization for Zydus Cadila's COVID-19 vaccine, the world's first DNA shot against the coronavirus, in adults and children 12 years of age and older. The consent gives a boost to India's vaccination program, which aims to inoculate all eligible adults by December, and will be the first shot for those under 18, as the country is still struggling to handle the spread of virus in some states.

The vaccine, ZyCoV-D, uses a section of the genetic material of the virus that gives instructions as to either DNA or RNA to make the specific protein that the immune system recognizes and responds to.

Unlike most COVID-19 vaccines, which require two or even a single dose, ZyCoV-D is administered in three doses.

The generic drug, listed as Cadila Healthcare Ltd, aims to make 100 million to 120 million doses of ZyCoV-D annually and has already begun to stockpile the vaccine.

Zydus Cadila's vaccination, developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, is the second home-grown shot to obtain emergency authorization in India after Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

The drugmaker said in July its COVID-19 vaccination would be effective against the new coronavirus mutants, particularly the Delta variant, and that the shot would be administered with a needle-free applicator as opposed to traditional injections.

The regulatory node makes ZyCoV-D the sixth vaccine authorized for use in the country where only about 9.18 percent of the entire population has been fully vaccinated so far, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Zydus Cadila has also released data assessing a two-dose regimen for the July shooting and plans to seek regulatory approval for the same.

The company applied for the authorization of ZyCoV-D on July 1, based on an efficiency rate of 66.6 percent and a late-stage test of more than 28,000 volunteers across the country.