Leading vaccine Bharat Biotech announced Monday that its Covaxin vaccine against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will use the adjuvant Alhydroxiquim-II to stimulate the immune response.
An adjuvant is a pharmacological or immunological agent that enhances the immune response of a vaccine by producing more antibodies and providing longer-lasting immunity.
Kansas-based ViroVax LLC has licensed its adjuvant for the use of Covaxin, which is currently in advanced stages of clinical trials in India.
Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine derived from a strain of the Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, isolated at the Indian Institute of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
Also Read: India Beats WHO’s Covid-19 Test Notice 6 Times: Government
The inactivated virus has been formulated with the ViroVax adjuvant to produce the candidate vaccine.
Bharat Biotech is currently conducting phase 2 human trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate after receiving approval from the Controller General of Medicines of India (DCGI) in late June.
“There is a critical need for the development and availability of adjuvants that induce increased antibody responses to vaccine antigens, resulting in long-term protection against pathogens. Adjuvants also improve the sustainability of the global vaccine supply due to their antigen-sparing effect. Our partnership with ViroVax resonates with Bharat Biotech’s tireless efforts to develop safe and effective vaccines along with long-term immunity, ”said Krishna Ella, President and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech.
“The aluminum hydroxide adjuvant widely used in the development of Sars-CoV-2 vaccines is known to induce a Th2-based response (which are important for the eradication of extracellular parasites and bacterial infections). The Th2-based response has a theoretical risk of vaccine-associated potentiated respiratory diseases (VAERD or ADE). We have used the imidazoquinoline class of adjuvants (TLR7 / 8 agonists), which are known to induce a Th1-based response that further reduces the risk of ADE (antibody-dependent enhancement), ”he added.
Sunil David of ViroVax said: “ViroVax is delighted to be partnering with Bharat Biotech. This has been possible thanks to the support of the National Institutes of Health. “
ViroVax is supported by the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, medical research centers under the US Department of Health.
.
