Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech on Friday released study results of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, Covaxin, which is currently in phase I / II human trials. The results show a reduction in the replication of the virus in the nasal cavity, throat and lung tissues of monkeys.
“These results demonstrate protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model,” said Bharat Biotech.
Covaxin, which is being developed by the Indian Council for Medical Research and Bharat Biotech, is being tested in 12 institutes in India.
A two-dose vaccination regimen of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates was administered to 20 rhesus macaques (divided equally into four groups).
One group was administered placebo, while three groups were immunized with 3 different candidate vaccines at 0 and 14 days. All macaques were exposed to the viral challenge 14 days after the second dose.
The results showed a protective efficacy, increasing the specific IgG of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralizing antibodies, reducing the replication of the virus in the nasal cavity, throat and lung tissues of the monkey.
No evidence of pneumonia was seen by histopathological examination in the vaccinated groups, unlike the placebo group, the company said.
No adverse events were observed in animals immunized with a two-dose vaccination regimen.
“The candidate vaccine was found to elicit strong immune responses. Therefore, it prevents infection and disease in primates after large amounts of exposure to live SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Bharat Biotech summarized in their report.
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