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Bharat Biotech soon to begin phase-1 trials of world’s first intranasal Covid-19 vaccine
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A Raju, Hyderabad
February 13 , 2021
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The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is getting ready for conducting phase-1 clinical trials of world’s first intranasal Covid-19 vaccine. Revealing this, the company sources said that as part of its phase-1 clinical trials it has selected 75 volunteers, who will undergo safety and efficacy tests for the nasal vaccine.
As announced earlier by Dr. Krishna Ella, chairman and managing director of Bharat Biotech, the company in collaboration with Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, USA, has developed the nasal vaccine called ‘Chimpanzee Adenovirus Vectored (BBV154)’ Covid-19 vaccine.
As per the partnership, Bharat Biotech International will get the needed basic research knowledge and know-how about the vaccine from the Washington University experts, while the company will conduct the lateral research, develop and manufacture the vaccine at its plant in Genome Valley in Hyderabad.
According to the company, it expects the newly developed nasal Covid-19 vaccine is a novel chimp-adenovirus, single dose intranasal vaccine that was already found to be effective in preventing infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus.
As part of the agreement, it is learnt that if the 3 phases of clinical trials for the nasal vaccine succeeds, then Bharat Biotech will have all the rights to market the vaccine across the world except, America, Europe and Japan.
“We are happy to announce that the Subject Experts Committee (SEC) of Drug Control General of India (DCGI) has given its green signal for conducting phase-1 clinical trials on the Intra nasal vaccine in India. As part of this, we completing all the necessary formalities to go ahead with the clinical trials and have even selected 75 subjects for phase-1 clinical trials,” informed the CMD.
Unlike the conventional injection based vaccines brought out by various leading pharma companies, Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine for Covid-19 will be more cost effective, easy to store, distribute and administer to the people through nose.
“In a country like India where we have a population with more than 1.3 billion people, manufacturing injections, vaccine vials, storing them and distributing it to various parts of the country will cost tremendously. Moreover disposing off such large number of syringes and needles will also pose a great danger to the environment. In view of this, the nasal vaccine will be the best option, as it is a single dose vaccine and can be easily administered through nose,” opined Dr. Krishna Ella.
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