The Serum Institute will apply to the DCGI for permission to conduct a Covovax clinical trial on kids.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is expected to apply to the Drug Controller and General of India (DCGI) for approval to conduct a Covovax clinical trial on children.

This is the second vaccination candidate for Covid-19, which is being developed and manufactured by SII in Pune.

SII officials informed The Indian Express that they would first seek authorisation to begin clinical trials of the Covovax vaccine in children aged 12 to 18, followed by children aged under 12.

The Covovax vaccine is currently undergoing clinical trials in India, with the company hoping to sell it by September of this year.

Novavax Inc, an American vaccine firm, signed a licencing agreement with SII in August 2020 for the development and commercialization of NVX-CoV2373, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, in low- and middle-income countries, as well as India.

The Covishield vaccination was introduced in the country by the Serum Institute in January of this year. To make the vaccine, it has formed a partnership with the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca.