Bharat Biotech Signed an Agreement for COVID-19 Vaccine
Bharat Biotech, a leading biotherapeutics manufacturing, signed a licensing agreement with Washington University School of Medical Sciences, in St. Louis, Missouri, the United States Single-shot intranasal vaccine COVID-19.
Now Bharat Biotech got the vaccine’s distribution rights in all the markets except the USA, Europe, and Japan. Saint Louis University’s Vaccine & Treatment Evaluation Unit conducted the vaccine’s first stage trails and obtained the expected results. Further medical trails will be conducted in India. It leads to extensive manufacturing of vaccines in India, whereas the Good manufacturing practice (GMP) is situated in the Genome Valley, Hyderabad. As a result, it will be a boon to the Pharma Industry.
Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director (MD) Krishna Ella said, “We are proud to collaborate on this innovative vaccine process. We have envisioned scaling this vaccine to a billion doses. People can be vaccinated in a single-dose. The intranasal vaccine is not only simpler to maintain but also reduces the usage of medical utensils such as needles, syringes, etc., which significantly lower the overall cost of the vaccine”.
He added the statement, “Our experience in viral vaccines, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution continue to be our strong suit in ensuring productivity, and affordable vaccines. It is prudent for Bharat Biotech to be involved in diverse but tenable projects to provide a much-needed vaccine against Covid-19 that reaches all citizens of the world.” The company stated that it recently published the positive result analysis of the intranasal vaccine and showed some extraordinary protection levels in mice studies.
Dr. David T Curiel, director, Biologic Therapeutics Center, and professor of radiation oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Precision Virologic interim chief executive officer (CEO) stated that “The ability to accomplish effective immunization with a single nasal dose is a major advantage, offering a broader reach and easier administration.
An effective nasal dose not only protects against Covid-19 but also prevents the spread of disease by providing a different type of immunity that occurs primarily in the cells that make up the nose and throat line. Other vaccines are currently in development stages and may not do so. They are using the Chimp-Adenovirus novel as the base.
It is already proven that chimp-adenovirus is the basis for some viral diseases like Ebola and tuberculosis, but no research can be done that can be effective with COVID-19. This vaccine will be a milestone in the Bharat Biotech portfolio, including other vaccines like COVAXIN, which is in the Second trails.
