'Covaxin': Bharat Biotech to begin Phase-III trials of COVID-19 vaccine in UP from October

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday announced that Phase-III trials of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine 'COVAXIN' will start in Lucknow and Gorakhpur from October.

"The phase-3 trial of COVAXIN being developed by Bharat Biotech will start in Lucknow and Gorakhpur from October," said Uttar Pradesh Principal Health Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad in a press conference.

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is collaborating with Bharat Biotech for the development of the COVAXIN.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Deepak Singh on Thursday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and requested to increase testing for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the Union Health Ministry as of Thursday, there are 61,698 active cases in the state with 3,02,689 recovered people and 5,299 deaths.

Bharat Biotech announces licensing agreement with Washington Univ

Meanwhile, vaccine innovator Bharat Biotech on Wednesday announced a licensing agreement with Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St Louis for a novel chimp-adenovirus, single-dose intranasal vaccine for COVID-19.

With this, Bharat Biotech owns the right to distribute the vaccine in all markets except the USA, Japan and Europe.

The Phase I trials will take place in Saint Louis University's Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit. Bharat Biotech, upon obtaining the required regulatory approval, will pursue further stages of clinical trials in India.

The company will undertake large scale manufacture of the vaccine at its GMP facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad.

Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech said, "We envision that we will scale this vaccine to 1 billion doses, translating to 1 billion individuals vaccinated receiving a single-dose regimen. An intranasal vaccine will not only be simple to administer but reduce the use of medical consumables such as needles, syringes, etc, significantly impacting the overall cost of a vaccination drive."

"Our experience in viral vaccines, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution continue to be our strong suit in ensuring safe, efficacious, and affordable vaccines. It is prudent for Bharat to be involved in diverse but tenable projects to provide a much-needed vaccine against COVID-19 reaches all citizens of the world," Dr Ella stated.

Dr David T Curiel, Director of Biologic Therapeutics Center and Professor of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine said, "The ability to accomplish effective immunisation with a single nasal dose is a major advantage, offering broader reach and easier administration. An effective nasal dose not only protects against COVID-19, but it also prevents the spread of the disease by offering another kind of immunity that occurs primarily in the cells that line the nose and throat."

"Most other vaccine candidates currently under development can not do that. This vaccine expands Bharat's portfolio of vaccines that are currently being developed and are in various stages of clinical development including COVAXIN which is currently in Phase II human clinical trials in India," he added.

(With inputs from ANI)