On Saturday, Bharat Biotech said that the clinical Phase III trials of the nasal vaccine for Covid-19 have been completed and that the company will submit its data with Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) next month.
Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech on Saturday said, if everything is okay, then they will get permission to launch and it will be the world’s first clinically proven nasal Covid-19 vaccine.
“We just completed a clinical trial, a data analysis is going on. Next month, we will submit the data to the regulatory agency. If everything is okay, then we will get permission to launch and it will be the world’s first clinically proven nasal Covid-19 vaccine," said Dr Ella in an interview with news agency ANI.
Dr Ella was in Paris as a speaker at Viva Technology 2022 where India was declared country of the year.
India's drug controller had in January this year given permission to Bharat Biotech to conduct standalone phase III trials on its COVID-19 nasal vaccine.
On the booster dose of COVID-19, Dr Ella said that those who had taken the second dose must take the booster dose.
"Booster dose of vaccine gives immunity. I always say the booster dose is a miracle dose for every vaccination. Even in children first, two doses don't give much immunity, but the third dose gives an amazing response to the child. The same thing for adults also. The third dose is very important for adults. COVID-19 can't be eradicated 100 per cent. It will be there and we have to live with it and handle it and more intelligently how to control it," he said.
India’s drug controller DCGI had in January this year given permission to Bharat Biotech to conduct standalone phase III trials on its nasal Covid vaccine.
BBV154 - A adenovirus vectored, intranasal vaccine for COVID-19 developed by Bharat Biotech - stimulates a broad immune response – neutralizing IgG, mucosal IgA, and T cell responses.
Immune responses are generated at the site of infection (in the nasal mucosa) – essential for blocking both infection and transmission of COVID-19, the company says.
Bharat Biotech advertises its intranasal vaccine as being, "Non-invasive, needle-free, not requiring trained health care workers, and able to meet global demand."
