Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and US biotech firm Precision Virologics jointly obtained the rights from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for a novel chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine against COVID-19. Bharat Biotech will own the rights to distribute the nasal covid vaccine, subject to regulatory approvals, in all markets except the US, Japan and Europe.
An intranasal vaccine will not only be easy to administer but will reduce the use of medical consumables such as needles and syringes, significantly affecting the overall cost of a vaccination campaign, Bharat Biotech said.
“The licensing agreements will lead to rapid clinical development, after the intranasal candidate vaccine has shown unprecedented levels of protection in mouse studies. This technology and data was recently published in Cell and Nature,” the companies said.
While Phase I trials will be conducted at St Louis University’s Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit, Bharat Biotech, once it gains the required regulatory approval, it will continue the clinical trial stages in India and undertake the large-scale manufacture of the vaccine.
“We are proud to collaborate on this innovative vaccine,” said Dr. Krishna Ella, President and CEO of Bharat Biotech. “We anticipate that we will scale this vaccine to 1 billion doses, which translates to 1 billion vaccinated people receiving a single-dose regimen. Our viral vaccine expertise, manufacturing and distribution capabilities continue to be our strength to ensure safety. , efficacy, and affordable vaccines. It is prudent for Bharat to participate in diverse but sustainable projects to provide a much-needed vaccine against COVID-19 that reaches all citizens of the world. “
Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine is already in phase II human clinical trials in India.
“The ability to achieve effective immunization with a single nasal dose is a great advantage, as it offers a wider range and easier administration,” said Precision Virologics Acting CEO David T. Curiel. “An effective nasal dose not only protects against COVID-19, but also prevents the spread of the disease by targeting the cells lining the nose and throat directly. Most of the other candidate vaccines currently in development cannot do that. “.
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