COVID-19 Vaccine: Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin' enters phase-3 trials

Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, being developed by Bharat Biotech is now undergoing phase-3 trials, Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech said on Monday.

Speaking virtually at a programme organised by the Indian School of Business, Ella said 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.

"We partnered with ICMR for COVID-19 vaccine as we speak it entered the phase 3 trials," he said.

Bharat Biotech is the only vaccine company in the world which has BSL3 production facility (Biosafety level 3), he said.

Covaxin, India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech is developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV).

The vaccine received DCGI approval for Phase I & II Human Clinical Trials and the trials commenced across India from July, 2020.

After successful completion of the interim analysis from the Phase 1 & 2 clinical trials of COVAXINTM, Bharat Biotech received DCGI approval for Phase 3 clinical trials in 26,000 participants in over 25 centres across India.