NEW DELHI- India's vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) on Saturday said it was hopeful of launching another COVID-19 vaccine Covovax by June this year.
The vaccine is being developed in partnership with U.S. vaccine developer Novavax, whose COVID-19 shot media reports said was found to be 89.3 percent effective in the trial in Britain.
"Our partnership for a COVID-19 vaccine with Novavax has also published excellent efficacy results. We have also applied to start trials in India. Hope to launch Covovax by June 2021!" SII chief Adar Poonawalla wrote on the social media platform Twitter.
On Jan. 16 India began its inoculation drive after its drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) cleared two vaccines -- the SII's Covishield and Indian pharma firm Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
Covishield has been developed in partnership with the Oxford University and the British-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca, while Covaxin was developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Last month Poonawalla said India would purchase between 300 million and 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the SII. (Xinhua)