Delegation of Ambassadors, High Commissionersvisits Bharat Biotech to discuss progress of Covaxin
A delegation of 70 Ambassadors and High Commissioners visited the Bharat Biotech facility today at Genome Valley, Hyderabad, to study the progress being made in the development of Covid vaccine.
They were taken ona tour of the facilities of vaccine makers Bharat Biotech and Biological Evans Limited by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The team comprising High Commissioners and Government representatives of 70 countries across the world interacted with the team at Bharat Biotech and extensively discussed the progress of Covaxin.
The project update on Covaxin was presented to the delegates by DrKrishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech.
Covaxin is an indigenous Covid-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech, being developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV). This vaccine is being developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) bio-containment facility. Covaxin is a highly purified and inactivated vaccine, manufactured in a vero cell manufacturing platform, with an excellent safety track record of more than 300 million doses.
Covaxin has been evaluated in approximately 1,000 subjects in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials, with promising safety and immunogenicity results.
The Phase III human clinical trials of Covaxin began in November, involving 26,000 volunteers across India. This is India's first and only Phase III efficacy study for a Covid-19 vaccine, and the largest Phase III efficacy trial ever conducted for any vaccine in India.
Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, said: "The development and clinical evaluation of Covaxin marks a significant milestone for novel vaccinology in India. It has garnered interest from several countries worldwide for supplies and introduction. It is an honour to have with us today all the distinguished Ambassadors of various countries. It not only makes us proud, but also reminds us that the world is looking up to India in the common fight against the deadly pandemic."
Bharat Biotech has established an excellent track record of innovation with more than 140 global patents, a wide product portfolio of more than 16 vaccines, 4 bio-therapeutics, registrations in more than 116 countries and WHO pre-qualifications.
Located in Genome Valley, it has delivered more than 4 billion doses of vaccines worldwide. Ithas developed vaccines for influenza H1N1, rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis, rabies, chikungunya, zika, and the world's first tetanus-toxoid conjugated vaccine for typhoid.