Covaxin, the Covid-19 vaccines entrant’s results were declared on Friday by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. The outcome seen was that the multiplication of the virus in the nasal cavity, throat and lung tissues of monkeys reduced. The vaccine is currently in Phase I/II of human trials.
“These results demonstrate the protective worth in a live viral challenge model,” said Bharat Biotech.
Bharat Biotech proudly announces the animal study results of COVAXIN™ – These results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model.
Read more about the results here – https://t.co/f81JUSfWpD@icmr_niv #BharatBiotech #COVAXIN #Safety #Vaccine #SARSCoV2 pic.twitter.com/fva1SOcLOr
— BharatBiotech (@BharatBiotech) September 11, 2020
A Therma Wave (tw)-dose vaccination regimen of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates was administered. Twenty rhesus macaques (a type of the Old World monkey) were divided into four groups of five animals each, it said.
One group was administered with placebo, while three groups were immunized with 3 different vaccine candidates at 0 and 14 days. 14 days after the 2nd dose of the vaccine, the macaques were exposed to the viral challenge.
The results showed:
– defensive efficiency
– Increased SARS-CoV-2 explicit IgG
– Nullifying antibodies
– Reducing duplication of the virus in the nasal cavity, throat, and lung tissues of monkeys.
Unlike the placebo group, no evidence of pneumonia was observed by histopathological inspection in vaccinated groups, Bharat Biotech proclaimed.
No adverse effects were seen in animals immunized with the two-dose vaccination.
“The vaccine candidate was found to generate robust immune responses. Thus, preventing infection and disease in the primates upon high amounts of exposure to live SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Bharat Biotech summarized in its report.
Dr OP Kalra, vice-chancellor of Post Graduate Institute (PGI) Rohtak said they’re set to start Phase II of human trials of Covaxin.
Covaxin, being developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research and Bharat Biotech, is being tested at 12 institutes across India.
