Islamabad:The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) on Monday approved Chinese state-owned firm Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the second vaccine to be approved for use in the country, reported Dawn.
Earlier, on Friday Drap had authorised the Oxford University-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in Pakistan.
"In a meeting conducted by [the] Registration Board of Drap today January 18, 2021, another vaccine manufactured by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) has also been given EUA (emergency use authorisation)," a spokesperson for the regulatory body said in a statement.
"This authorisation will be reviewed every quarter keeping in view further data regarding safety, efficacy and quality," it said.
Read:|Pakistan to purchase vaccine from China's Sinopharm
Sinopharm is developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a state-owned subsidiary conglomerate. The company had claimed the efficacy rate to be 79.3 per cent from last-stage trials, reported Dawn.