Zydus Cadila agrees to slash price of COVID-19 shot

Zydus Cadila has reportedly agreed to reduce the price of each dose of COVID-19 to ₹265.

The Ahmedabad-based firm behind ZyCoV-D, one of India’s two indigenous jabs against the coronavirus disease, had earlier proposed ₹1,900 for the three-dose regimen of its shot.

ZyCoV-D is yet to be included in the nationwide COVID-19 inoculation drive, which began on January 16, 2021.

“The company has brought down the price to ₹358 for each dose, which includes ₹93 – the cost of a disposable jet applicator following repeated negotiations with the central government. A final decision in this matter is likely to be taken this week,” officials said.

ZyCoV-D, which received clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India on August 20, is the only vaccine to have been approved for an age group below 18, as it was given emergency use authorisation by the top drugs regulator for beneficiaries aged 12 and above. At present, every citizen who is 18-years-old or above is eligible for the vaccination drive.

Besides ZyCoV-D, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is the only other jab to have been recommended by the Subject Experts Committee to the DCGI. Covaxin, which is the country’s first indigenous anti-COVID shot, is among the two most widely used vaccines in the inoculation drive, Covishield being the other.