In a major development related to vaccine for coronavirus, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has announced that it has successfully developed COVAXIN, India’s first vaccine candidate for COVID-19, in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) National Institute of Virology (NIV). This is as per a letter written as internal communication by ICMR to Bharat Biotech asking for fast-tracking of the indigenous vaccine with an aim to launch by August 15.

COVAXIN is an indigenous, inactivated vaccine developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Biosafety Level 3) high containment facility located in Genome Valley in Hyderabad. ICMR has written a letter to all stakeholders to complete this work as soon as possible. It has been said that this work should be categorised as top priority.

The Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) – the office of DCGI, has granted permission to initiate phase I & II human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response. “Human clinical trials are scheduled to start across India in July 2020,” stated the spokesperson of Bharat Biotech.

Bharat Biotech’s track record in developing Vero cell culture platform technologies has been proven in several vaccines for Polio, Rabies, Rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis, Chikungunya and Zika.