Set to provide a COVID-19 vaccine partnered with AstraZeneca/Oxford to COVAX and various governments from Brazil to South Africa, India's Serum Institute assures that a fire at one of its units under construction will not impact supplies.

Zydus Cadila is to begin testing a three-dose recombinant DNA vaccine candidate in Phase III Indian trials, which might enter late-stage development ahead of Inovio and AnGes. The company promised to provide 100-150 million doses by end of 2021 at the J.P. Morgan Conference, though adherence could be a roadblock.

Multiple COVID-19 vaccines, including from J&J, Pfizer and RDIF, are seen gaining approvals in India in 2021, following on from a raft of R&D, manufacturing and marketing tie-ups, as well as other developments, in the action-packed field last year.