'Animal trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin successful': Bharat Biotech

Bharat Biotech, Indian pharmaceutical company which is in fray for developing COVID-19 vaccine, has anunced on Friday that  animal trials of its vaccine candidate 'Covaxin' were successful. In a huge success in fight against dely pandemic, Hyderab based company took to Twitter to make anuncement of vaccine candidate's "protective efficacy and immugenicity on n-Human Primates".

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'Generates robust immune responses'

A detailed release linked to tweet stated that  two-dose vaccination regimen of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates was ministered in 20 rhesus macaques which were divided into four groups equally.

While one group was ministered with placebo, three groups were immunised with three different vaccine candidates at zero and 14 days. All macaques were exposed to viral challenge 14 days after second dose.

results showed protective efficacy, increasing SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies, reducing replication of virus in nasal cavity, throat, and lung tissues of monkey.

evidence of pneumonia was observed in vaccinated groups, "unlike placebo group which showed features of interstitial pneumonia and localisation of viral antigen in alveolar epilium and macrophs by immuhistochemistry", release ted about study's observations.

"To summarize, vaccine candidate was found to generate robust immune responses. Thus, preventing infection and disease in primates upon high amounts of exposure to live SARS-CoV-2 virus," statement concluded.

Covaxin is first of indigeusly developed vaccine against COVID-19 by India. Phase II of vaccine candidate's human clinical trial began this week at Post Gruate Institute (PGI) Rohtak.  trial is being conducted on 50 volunteers at PGIMS, Rohtak, of total 380 volunteers across country and twelve volunteers, between 12 and 65 years of , were ministered first dose of Covaxin on Wednesday morning.  Covid-19 vaccine is being developed Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV).

Besides Covaxin, India has two more vaccine candidates in run. Ahmedab based Zydus Cila's ZyCoV-D and ar one is being developed by Serum Institute of India in collaboration with Oxford University vaccine and UK's Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. However,  Serum Institute has halted trials for its vaccine Covishield after a show-cause tice by Drugs Controller General of India.

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