Pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech has asked the General Medicines Controller of India to approve a Phase 3 trial of a COVID-19 nasal vaccine for use as a booster dose.
The drug will reportedly be administered to those who have already received two doses of the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Central Organization for the Control of Medicines Standards has confirmed the extension of the shelf life of the Indian vaccine to 12 months from the date of manufacture. Now hospitals can use the stock and avoid wasting the drug.
In addition, the company said it is committed to caring for the environment. The use of multi-dose vials reduces the carbon footprint as well as the costs associated with wasting open vials, distributing and storing the vaccine at the correct temperature, and disposing of biomedical waste.
“Most importantly, we believe in the sustainability of our production and are doing this by reducing the number of packaging materials and disposable plastic products that are used in the manufacture, storage, marketing and disposal of vaccines,” the company said in a statement.
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