COVAXIN garnered interest from several countries for supplies and introduction, says Bharat Biotech

India's indigenously developed Covaxin is in Phase III human clinical trials

The envoys who visited the Bharat Biotech facility. Photo by special arrangement.

A delegation of 64 envoys visited Bharat Biotech and Biological E-facilities at the Genome Valley, Hyderabad, on Wednesday to know the progress on the Covid-19 vaccines.

The two Hyderabad-based companies are involved separately in the development of Covid-19 vaccines.

The diplomatic visit comprising high commissioners and government representatives of 64 countries comes at a time when Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is at an advanced stage of human trials.

About a fortnight ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to take stock of the vaccine progress.

The envoys' visit was organised by Ministry of External Affairs, in order to appraise the world about the headway made by the country on the Covid-19 vaccine front and the growth of the pharma industry in general.

The delegates visit was facilitated in two batches to both units.

At BBIL, chairman and managing director Dr Krishna Ella presented the COVAXIN update.

COVAXIN is India's indigenous vaccine for Covid-19 developed in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV).

The inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's Bio-Safety Level 3 bio-containment facility here.

“The highly purified vaccine is manufactured in a Vero cell manufacturing platform with an excellent safety track record of more than 300 million doses,” a company representative said.

COVAXIN trials were conducted on about 1,000 volunteers in Phase I and II, with promising safety and immunogenicity results. Phase III human clinical trials 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,” BBIL said.

Suchitra Ella, joint managing director of Bharat Biotech, said: “Development and clinical evaluation of COVAXIN marks a significant milestone for novel vaccinology in India. COVAXIN has garnered interest from several countries worldwide for supplies and introduction.”

“It is an honour to have all the distinguished ambassadors of various countries with us today. 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,” she added.