Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on 3rd October said the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the extension of the shelf life of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin up to 12 months from the date of manufacture.

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Bharat Biotech was initially given permission for the sale and distribution of Covaxin with a shelf life of six months, which was later extended to nine months, a company spokesperson reported. "The CDSCO has approved the extension of shelf life of Covaxin up to 12 months, from the date of manufacture. This approval of shelf-life extension is based on the availability of additional stability data, which was submitted to CDSCO," Bharat Biotech said in a tweet.

The shelf life extension has been communicated to "our stakeholders," it added. The approval for the extension of shelf life of the vaccine comes ahead of a crucial World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting for a final risk-benefit assessment for the emergency use listing (EUL) for the vaccine. The WHO's Technical Advisory Group for EUL last week had sought additional clarifications from Bharat Biotech for Covaxin.