What is Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine? Read how is it different from Covishield & Covaxin

India has placed an advance order to block 30 crore doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine, Corbevax, from Hyderabad-based company Biological. When it finally comes, it may also be the cheapest vaccine available in India, said reports.

What is Corbevax?

In Phase 1 and 2 trials, Corbevax, a recombinant protein subunit vaccine, showed promising outcomes. It's made up of a specific component of the SARS-CoV-2 virus's surface spike protein. Essentially, the spike protein permits the virus to penetrate the body's cells, where it can proliferate and cause sickness, triggering an immune reaction against the spike protein that was injected. As per reports, while only one protein is delivered to the body, it is unlikely to be damaging because the rest of the virus is missing.

How it is different from other vaccines 

mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna), viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishield, Johnson & Johnson, and Sputnik V), and inactivated vaccines (Covaxin, Sinovac-CoronaVac, and Sinopharm's SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Vero Cell) are currently licenced COVID vaccines. What sets Corbevax apart from the rest? Inactivated vaccines, on the other hand, include dead particles of the full SARS-CoV-2 virus and seek to target the virus's whole structure. Corbevax, like the COVID-19 mRNA and viral vector vaccines, only targets the spike protein, but in a different way.

Corbevax is given in two dosages. It is also predicted to be among the most affordable vaccinations available in the country, as it is manufactured on a low-cost platform. Reportedly, the vaccine will be the cheapest vaccine available in India, with the two doses costing less than Rs 400 when purchased together. The Covishield vaccine, on the other hand, costs between Rs 300 and Rs 400 for a single dosage. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine, the third to be approved for emergency use in India, costs roughly Rs 1,000.

Availability of Biological E vaccine

After demonstrating encouraging results in phases I and II, the vaccine has been approved for Phase III clinical trials in India, said reports. For a consignment of 30 crore medicines, the central government would pay Rs 1,500 crore. Corbevax is a two-dose vaccine, like most other COVID-19 vaccinations. Reports noted that the production to satisfy the Centre's delivery target will continue between August and December once the Phase III studies are completed.

Picture Credit: AP