Bharat Biotech Gets Approval To Test Administration Of COVAXIN Through Skin

ign: center;">COVAXIN Administration Through Skin Gets Approval For Clinical Trial

Bharat Biotech, the Indian firm behind the development of potential COVID-19 vaccine called COVAXIN, along with ICMR, has received approval for a trial to test-administer its vaccine, through the skin. The approval to conduct a separate trial for intradermal administration of the vaccine that is just under the skin was given to the company by a subject expert committee at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.

The trials for its intramuscular vaccine is already underway. The intradermal administration will bring down the cost of the shot since it requires a lower dose of vaccine compared to that of intramuscular administration. It will also allow the vaccination of a larger population. Rabies and BCG vaccines use a similar method of administration. The intradermal administration of Rabies vaccine reduced its usage by 60-80% and was less costly.

The administration of COVAXIN through the skin is being tested in a separate trial. However, the approval is subject to two conditions; the clinical trial sites of this study should be different from that of intramuscular study, and the participants should be followed up for six months for antibody and clinical assessments.

COVAXIN is a wholly-inactivated vaccine candidate that was jointly developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology in Pune and the vaccines & bio-therapeutics manufacturer Bharat Biotech.

Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN is undergoing a phase I/II clinical trial on 1,125 patients at 12 hospitals across the country, including King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, PGIMS in Rohtak, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and Patna. The company had recently claimed that their vaccine shot would be cheaper than a bottle of water. “This water bottle costs five times more than our vaccine,” said Dr. Krishna Ella, MD of Bharat Biotech, while speaking at a conference.

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Editor’s Note; Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN, COVID-19 vaccine, administration through skin.