The Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune has on Sunday applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the emergency use authorisation of Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in the country. The announcement comes on a day after Pfizer became the first drugmaker to seek approval for emergency use of the vaccine in India.

Five vaccine candidates are in advanced phases of clinical trials in the country. The Serum Institute of India is conducting a phase-3 trial of the Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Indigenously developed vaccine by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR has already started the phase-3 clinical trials.

Drug firm Zydus Cadila has received approval from the DCGI to start the phase-three clinical trials of the indigenously-developed coronavirus vaccine candidate.

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) have announced that they commenced adaptive phase two and three clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidate Sputnik V in the country. Biological E. Ltd has also started early phase 1 and 2 human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.