Zydus Cadila’s ZyCov-D is the first vaccine approved by India’s drug regulator for immunization of people 12 years of age and above.
Zydus Cadila has agreed to bring down the price of its COVID-19 vaccine to Rs 265 per dose after constant talks by the government, but a final deal is yet to be done, sources said on Sunday.
Zydus Cadila’s ZyCov-D is the first vaccine approved by India’s drug regulator for immunization of people 12 years of age and above.
To administer the needle-free vaccine, each dose requires a disposable painless jet applicator costing ₹93, which will take the price to ₹358 per dose.
Sources said the Ahmedabad-based pharma company had earlier offered a price of ₹ 1,900 for its three-dose drug.
“The company has reduced the price for each dose to ₹358, including ₹93 for a disposable jet applicator, after repeated talks by the government… a final decision on the matter is expected to be taken this week. There is a possibility, a source privy to the developments told PTI.
Three doses are to be administered at 28-day intervals, with each dose consisting of one tablet in both arms.
The world’s first indigenously developed DNA-based needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D received emergency use authorization from the drug regulator on August 20.
Meanwhile, the government is still awaiting the recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) to introduce ZyCoV-D in the vaccination campaign for adults and children with co-morbidities.
NTAGI will provide the protocol and framework for the introduction of this vaccine in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Official sources had earlier said that the price of ZyCoV-D would be different from Covaxin and Covishield because apart from being a three-dose vaccine, it requires a special pharma jet injector that is used to administer the vaccine.
That pharma jet injector can be used to deliver about 20,000 doses.
“The jet applicator helps the vaccine fluid penetrate the skin to enter the recipient’s cells,” the source said.
A source said Zydus Cadila could deliver around 20 million doses in November.
The government is currently procuring two other vaccines for the National COVID-19 Immunization Program – Covishield at ₹205 per dose and Covaxin at ₹215 per dose.
Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V are only being given to people over the age of 18 and, unlike ZyCoV-D, these are two-dose drugs.
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