The recent approval of Novavax’s protein-based Covid-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12-18 years will help its partner, the Serum Institute of India (SII) enter the adolescents’ market, according to GlobalData.
Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine was granted emergency use authorisation by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in March for adolescents aged 12-18 years. Novavax’s partner, the SII will manufacture and market the vaccine under the brand name Covovax.
SII has been integral to India’s overall vaccination drive primarily through its partnership with AstraZeneca and the company’s Covishield vaccine. According to Statista, out of 1.8 billion vaccinations in India, Covishield accounted for 1.4 billion of them1.
Covovax is now India’s fourth Covid-19 vaccine approved for adolescents aged 12 to 18 years according to GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center.
Official comments
Prashant Khadayate, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, said: “Even though SII Covishield dominated the overall vaccination drive in India, it is not approved for adolescents. Now, SII can target adolescents through Covovax approval. Notably, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Biological E’s Corbevax are the leading Covid-19 vaccines in this segment.”
Khadayate added: “India is now focusing on the vaccination of adolescents. Government orders drive the majority of the vaccination in the country. Therefore, it is important to make Covovax part of the government supply through competitive pricing for quick penetration. Moreover, adolescents’ vaccination in India is progressing at a rapid pace. Any delay in making Covovax available will impact the overall market potential in this age group.”
Speaking about the authorisation Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax said: “We’re proud of this first approval in adolescents given the efficacy and safety that our data show in this population, and that our Covid-19 vaccine will provide an alternative protein-based vaccine option for individuals 12 years of age and older in India. We hope that this authorization of our Covid-19 vaccine in adolescents is the first of many worldwide so that families have an additional choice built on a well-understood platform used in other vaccines for decades.”
References
1: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248301/india-covid-19-vaccines-administered-by-vaccine-type/
