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Foreign vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna move one step closer to get emergency authorisation usage in India on Wednesday. The Drugs Controller General of India has now done away with the requirement of local bridging trials for foreign vaccines that have already been approved by certain other health bodies and governments.
This in turn would mean that both Pfizer and Moderna are no longer required to hold trials in India. However, it may be some time yet before the vaccines are made available in India, as the companies’ request for indemnity or liability from compensation for any severe side effects remains unaccepted by the Centre.
According to a letter by DCGI chief VG Somani that was shared by news agency ANI, this was prompted by the “huge vaccination requirements in India in the wake of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases and the need for increased availability of imported vaccines”. The decision was taken based on the recommendations of the the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC).
