New Delhi:12/9/20: Bharat Biotech International Limited has announced that the animal trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin have been successful and the results showed “remarkable immunogenicity and protective efficacy” in the Phase I clinical trials in India.
It said the results demonstrated the protective efficacy of the vaccine in a live viral challenge model.
“Bharat Biotech proudly announces the animal study results of COVAXIN – These results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model,” tweeted the Hyderabad-based firm.
It said the data from the study on primates substantiate the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate.
According to a detailed statement attached to the tweet, Bharat Biotech developed and assessed the protective efficacy and immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152) or Covaxin in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulata). Twenty macaques were divided into four groups of five animals each.
“One group was administered a placebo while three groups were immunised with three different vaccine candidates at 0 and 14 days. All the macaques were challenged with SARS-CoV-2 14 days after the second dose. The protective response was observed with increasing SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralising antibody titres from third week post-immunisation,” it said.