COVID-19 Vaccine: Serum Institute applies for full approval of Covishield

Serum Institute Of India has applied to the country`s drug regulator and the health ministry for full approval of its COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, the company`s chief executive said on Friday.

Serum Institute, which produces AstraZeneca`s COVID-19 vaccine under the brand name Covishield, has supplied more than 1.25 billion doses of the shot in India.

The Indian government now has enough data to consider a full market authorisation, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Twitter.

Serum Institute, which is also the world`s biggest vaccine maker, was granted approval for emergency use of Covishield in India at the beginning of the year.

The country`s inoculation drive so far has been dominated by Covishield and Bharat Biotech`s inactivated vaccine Covaxin.

Serum Institute has nearly quadrupled its monthly capacity of AstraZeneca`s shots to as many as 240 million doses and is prepared to export "large volumes" from January, Poonawalla told Reuters in October.