Phase III results of the COVAXIN, developed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)in partnership with Bharat Biotech International (BBIL) has shown an interim vaccine efficacy of 81 per cent in preventing COVID-19.
The Phase III trial, jointly initiated by ICMR and BBIL in mid-November 2020 was conducted in a total of 25,800 individuals across 21 sites. The interim efficacy trend of 81 per cent analysed as per the protocol approved by the DCGI, putsit at par with other global front-runner vaccines.
“The bench-to-bedside journey of completely indigenous COVID-19 vaccine in less than eight months’ time showcases the immense strength of Atmanirbhar Bharat [self-reliant India] to fight the odds and stand tall in the global public health community. It is also a testament to India’s emergence as a global vaccine superpower,” said Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, ICMR.
The COVAXIN is the first COVID-19 vaccine that has been developed completely in India. In March 2020, following the successful isolation of the SARS CoV-2 virus at ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), ICMR entered into a public-private partnership with BBILto develop the virus isolate into an effective vaccine candidate.
ICMR-NIV characterised the vaccine developed by BBIL through in-vitro experiments and electron microscopy studies.
Pre-clinical studies in small animals and hamsters showed promising results in terms of safety and immunogenicity. Further studies conducted in rhesus macaques also established remarkable safety and protective efficacy of COVAXIN.
Phase I and Phase II clinical trials conducted in 755 participants demonstrated high safety profile of the candidate vaccine withseroconversion rates of 98.3 per cent and 81.1 per cent on day 56 and 104 respectively.
COVAXIN has been developed on the WHO pre-qualified verocell platform, which is globally recognised with a well-established track record of safety.
COVAXIN’s ability to neutralise UK variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 has also recently been established.
“The development of COVAXIN ensures that India has a powerful weapon in its arsenal in a continually evolving pandemic situation and will go a long way in helping us win the war against COVID-19. The need of the hour is to ensure that people in India continue to receive the vaccine and break the chain of virus transmission,” said Dr Samiran Panda, Head, Epidemiology and Communicable Disease, ICMR and Director, National AIDS Research Institute.