Bharat Biotech launches nasal Covid vaccine

Hyderabad: Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), a city-based vaccine developer dedicated world's first made-in-India intranasal vaccine to the nation on Thursday. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh launched Bharat Biotech's nasal Covid vaccine, iNCovacc, on the occasion of Republic Day.

The world's first made-in-India intranasal vaccine was launched at Mandaviya's residence at New Delhi. The nasal vaccine -- BBV154 -- had received the Drugs Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval in November for restricted emergency use among adults as a heterologous booster dose.

Bharat Biotech mentioned iNCovacc's price as Rs 800 for private markets and Rs 325 for supplies to the government of India and State governments. Suchitra Ella, MD, Bharat Biotech said, "Its exemplary that India has not only served herself during the pandemic challenges, but also a strong provider to the global platform in distributing vaccines and medicines to over 150 countries." The product development and clinical trials were funded in part by the Government of India, through the Department of Biotechnology's, Covid Suraksha Programme. The vaccine was developed in partnership with Washington University, St. Louis.

iNCovacc is a recombinant replication deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilised spike protein. This vaccine candidate was evaluated in phase I, II and III clinical trials with successful results.

Clinical trials were conducted to evaluate iNCovacc as a primary dose schedule and as a heterologous booster dose.