Coronavirus: Zydus Cadila seeks approval for its COVID vaccine; here is what makes it different from other vaccines

Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical major, Zydus Cadila, which is also one of the companies developing a novel coronavirus vaccine has sought emergency use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine, ZyCOV-D.

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The vaccine model, which was pushed into development last year has applied for the regulatory nods basis the interim results from phase III trials conducted recently. If approved for use, ZyCOV-D will be the first DNA vaccine under offer to prevent COVID-19.

Not only will the vaccine be the third homegrown COVID-19 vaccine available for use, it is also talked about for its innovative properties and efficiency.

Here's all you need to know about the same:

ZyCOV-D is the COVID-19 vaccine developed and manufactured by a leading Indian drugmaker, Zydus Cadila to fight against novel coronavirus.

The vaccine, which was pressed into clinical trials last July is likely to be the third Indian coronavirus vaccine to be rolled out for use. Not only is the vaccine a made in India vaccine, it is also the first-of-a-kind coronavirus vaccine that uses a DNA platform to elicit a sufficient immune response.

ZyCOV-D is a 'plasmid DNA' vaccine that uses a non-replicating version of a DNA molecule called plasmid, which, similar to mRNA vaccines are coded with genetic information which helps prepare a harmless version of the spike protein present on the SARS-COV-2 membrane.

Once the vaccine is injected into the body, the plasmid DNA elicits an immediate response which mimics the spike protein production, doles out antibodies, and prompts a defensive response when a future infection is sighted.

The company, which claims to have conducted one of the biggest COVID vaccine clinical trials across Indian centres, has also sought clinical nods for regulatory use in kids between the ages of 12-18 right now. Once approved for use, the company plans to speed fast production and manufacture 10-12 crore doses annually.

The platform DNA technology used in the development of the vaccine is the first-of-its-kind globally, which offers impressive results, as per clinical trials and researchers. Apart from that, there are also quite a few points that make the vaccine different from the COVID-19 vaccines we have with us.

It is also touted to be one of the cheaper coronavirus vaccines available in the market. Currently, Covishield (Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine) is the most economical one.

The company has sought EUA post interim results obtained from phase II and III trials conducted pan-India. Not only do the developers cite the DNA technology used in the vaccine to be safe and effective, but trials have also found that the vaccine promises an efficacy rate of 67 per cent in bringing down symptomatic infections and has a well-established safety and immunogenicity profiles.

The data is based on the trials conducted on around 28,000 people, amongst which 1000 were kids aged between 12-18.

Researchers have also said that injecting two doses of the vaccine was able to prevent severe infection amongst people, while the three-dose regime was useful in evading mortality risk associated with the disease.

The developers have already applied for emergency use authorization for its innovative COVID-19 vaccine. Once regulatory nods are confirmed, the vaccine may be the 5th COVID vaccine available in the country for use. To hasten vaccination efforts, the company has also promised to make the initial doses available in the next 45-60 days, once nods are approved. The production and manufacturing facilities will be further scaled up to have crores of doses ready by the end of the year.

Most approved vaccines have been clinically seen to be less effective against newer emerging strains of coronavirus. However, conducting clinical trials during the peak of the second wave has reportedly helped ZyCOV-D manufacturers to reaffirm the vaccine's effectiveness against variants of concerns, including the Delta variant.

While the vaccine currently promises a lower efficacy rate of 67% in comparison to other conventional and mRNA vaccines, the company believes that holding the trials during peak months helped it to study and find the vaccine well-effective against mutating strains. Researchers are also developing prototypes and constructs which will help them upgrade the vaccine model to combat future variants if needed.

It should be noted that while researchers have cited exceptional efficacy immunogenicity data and tolerable efficacy rates from phase I, II, III trials, the company is yet to publish or peer review the data from its clinical findings.

There are also some safety concerns that surround the usage of DNA technology to cause problems at the cellular level or result in some autoimmune diseases. Since the vaccine is also experimental like other COVID-19 vaccines, more research will be needed to study the potential benefits and shortcomings of the vaccine.