Even as India’s first indigenous coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, is entering its third phase of human trials in 26,000 participants, Bharat Biotech on Monday wondered how the country’s 1.3 billion (130 crore) people will be vaccinated with its two-dose injectable vaccine.
Terming the exercise a “challenge” Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech said at a programme online that the company is also working on another vaccine for Covid-19 which would be in the form of nasal drops and can be ready by next year .
At the programme organised by the Indian School of Business, Ella said, “ We have partnered with ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) for Covaxin and as we speak, we are entering phase III trials but I am not happy because it is a two-dose injectable vaccine. If we have to vaccinate 1.3 billion population with two dose vaccine, we need 2.6 billion (260 crore) syringes and needles.”
Ella asserted that the challenge is to vaccinate 1.3 billion population. Six billion (600 crore) people in the developing world have to be vaccinated but the opportunity is if 20 per cent of them are vaccinated, I have done my job as a scientist. You partly need vaccine because there will be herd immunity.
Ella also pointed out that 40,000 unknown viruses are existing. “10,000 viruses can hop from animal to animal and to human. What we are seeing today is only a sample. Because of its impact on economy it got more attention. We are yet to see lot many things.”
He said that Bharat Biotech is the only vaccine company in the world which has BSL3 production facility (Biosafety level 3).
Last month the vaccine maker said it had successfully completed interim analysis of Phase I and II trials of the vaccine and is initiating Phase-III trials in 26,000 participants.
The Hyderabad-based vaccine maker had on October 2 sought the Drug Controller General of India’’s (DCGI) permission to conduct phase 3 randomised double-blind placebo-controlled multicentre trial of its COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are working on another vaccine through nasal drops my feeling is by next year it will reach the population,” Ella said.
BharatBiotech in September had said it entered into a licensing agreement with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for a novel “chimp-adenovirus” (Chimpanzee adenovirus), single dose intranasal vaccine for Covid-19.