World’s 1st Covid nasal vaccine by Bharat Biotech to launch on R-Day, says founder Krishna Ella

The world’s first nasal vaccine iNCOVACC — developed indigenously in India — will be launched on Republic Day, Bharat Biotech Founder, Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said at the ongoing India International Science Festival in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

He also announced that the vaccine for lumpy skin disease — Lumpi-ProVac — a virus that affects cattle, will also be launched next month.

iNCOVACC is the world’s first nasal vaccine for Covid-19. The vaccine was approved for emergency use by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for restricted use in emergency situations in the age group of 18 and above in December last year.

Phase-III trials were conducted for safety and immunogenicity in nearly 3,100 volunteers in 14 trial sites across India. Heterologous booster dose studies — where the nasal vaccine was given after two doses of the different Covid vaccine — were conducted for safety and immunogenicity in about 875 people.

The clinical trials were conducted in nine trial sites across India. The nasal delivery system has been designed and developed to be cost-effective in low- and middle-income countries. This vaccine is stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius for easy storage and distribution.

Large manufacturing capabilities have been established by Bharat Biotech at multiple sites across India — including Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana — with operations pan India, according to a PIB (Press Information Bureau) statement.

Meanwhile, the Lumpi-ProVac — a vaccine for bovines against the lumpy skin disease — will be launched next month, Ella said.