Bharat Biotech expresses hope over Covaxin's availability by first quarter of 2021

After the successful visit of 64 diplomats at Bharat Biotech's facility, Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella expressed hope that their vaccine candidate 'Covaxin' would be available by the first quarter of 2021. The Joint Managing Director also anticipated Covaxin's availability to categories and first responders via the Centre's phased vaccination plan by next year. 

"We hope that with safety and efficacy data, Covaxin will be available in the first quarter of next year to the categories & the first responders according to the plan that government of India is embarking upon for phased vaccination," she said. 

64 Diplomats visit Bharat Biotech

On Wednesday, 64 diplomats visited the premises of Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech which is to produce COVID vaccine Covaxin. During the visit, Bharat Biotech's Chairman and Managing Director Dr Krishna Ella delivered a presentation to explain the country's vaccine manufacturing capabilities. Dr Ella informed the Foreign Heads of Mission that nearly 33% of global vaccines are produced in Hyderabad's Genome Valley. 

Meanwhile, an expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has sought additional safety and efficacy data for COVID-19 vaccine candidates Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII). The Bharat Biotech inspection is scheduled to be followed by visits to similar facilities in other cities in due course of time.

Read: Key Meet At DCGI On Pfizer, Serum & Covaxin's Vaccines; 64 Diplomats Visit Bharat Biotech

Read: Key Meet At DCGI On Pfizer, Serum & Covaxin's Vaccines; 64 Diplomats Visit Bharat Biotech

Progress of Indian vaccine candidates 

• Bharat Biotech - ICMR (BBV 152): Phase I & Phase- 2 clinical trials have completed. Phase-3 trials are ongoing at 25 centres across India with a total of 26,000 participants. Application for emergency use filed. 
• Cadila-Zydus (ZyCOV-D): Phase I clinical trials completed, revealing its safety. Enrolment and dosing of 1,000 volunteers for Phase-2 clinical trials completed, is likely to enter Phase III final stage of clinical trials by December.
• Serum-ICMR & Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1-S): Globally, this vaccine is undergoing phase-3 clinical trials in Brazil. In India, enrollment for phase-3 clinical trials completed with 1,600 participants at 15 locations. The trials were halted briefly when AstraZeneca paused trials after a volunteer encountered a strange disease. After Oxford conducted safety evaluations, DCGI allowed India trials to resume. Application for emergency use filed.

Read: Centre Refutes Reports Of 'rejecting' Serum Institute & Bharat Biotech's COVID Vaccines

Read: CDSCO Expert Panel Seeks More Data On COVID-19 Vaccines From Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech

(With Agency Inputs)