Companies gear up for Omicron version of coronavirus vaccines

Zydus to keep a laboratory product ready based on the new variant

As the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2 takes centre stage, vaccine makers in India are of the view that scaling up the existing vaccines to make them more effective is possible.

Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila is making a DNA vaccine using the Omicron sequence, but will not immediately take it to the clinic.

Serum Institute of India (SII) Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla said: “It is too early to comment on Omicron. Scientists at Oxford University are continuing their research, and based on their findings, we in six months may come up with a vaccine that would act as a booster.”

“We will take a