HomeCovaxin neutralises double mutant strain; is 100% effective against severe COVID-19: ICMR-Bharat Biotech

Covaxin neutralises double mutant strain; is 100% effective against severe COVID-19: ICMR-Bharat Biotech

The vaccine manufacturer’s claim is based on the interim results from Phase 3 trials of COVAXIN, one of the vaccines approved for use in India.

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By CNBCTV18.com April 21, 2021, 8:35:18 PM IST (Updated)

Covaxin neutralises double mutant strain; is 100% effective against severe COVID-19: ICMR-Bharat Biotech

Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) -- the developers of indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin -- have claimed that their vaccine has shown overall interim clinical efficacy of 78 percent and 100 percent efficacy against severe COVID-19 disease.



The vaccine manufacturer's claim is based on interim results from phase 3 trials of Covaxin, one of the vaccines approved for use in India. In the trial results, Covaxin demonstrated that the efficacy against severe COVID-19 disease was 100 percent with an impact on reduction in hospitalisations plus an overall interim clinical efficacy of 78 percent, according to a Bharat Biotech-ICMR joint statement.


The second interim analysis is based on accruing more than 87 symptomatic cases of COVID-19, the company said, adding that owing to the recent spike in cases, 127 symptomatic cases were recorded, resulting in a point estimate of vaccine efficacy of 78 percent against mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 disease.


Meanwhile, NDTV reported that Covaxin neutralises the double mutant strain that is infecting lakhs of people in India. "Covaxin neutralises multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively works against the double mutant strain as well," it quoted the ICMR as saying.

The efficacy against asymptomatic COVID-19 infection stood at 70 percent, suggesting a reduced transmission in Covaxin recipients. The detailed safety and efficacy results from the final analysis will be released in June and the final report will be sent for peer-reviewed publication.


Millions of Covaxin doses already exported


According to the manufacturer, millions of doses of Covaxin have been administered in India and abroad with a good safety record, evident by the minimal or lack of adverse events post-immunisation.


The company's effort to further develop Covaxin continues, with clinical trials planned in India and globally to evaluate its safety and immunogenicity in younger age groups, the impact of booster doses, and protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants, Bharat Biotech added.

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