Health

India’s Covaxin 77.8 percent effective against Covid-19, says manufacturer

New Delhi, Jul 3 (EFE).- The Indian laboratory Bharat Biotech said Saturday that its vaccine, Covaxin, jointly developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), showed an average efficacy of 77.8 percent, following the final results of its clinical study.

“It is a momentous day for everyone, at Bharat Biotech, as we announce the Final Phase-3 Results of COVAXIN and its efficacy of 77.8%,” Bharat Biotech’s Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella said in a statement.

The results follow the evaluation of 130 confirmed cases among its subjects under study, with 24 of them administered the vaccine and 106 given a placebo.

The final outcome of the last phase of the study, which is yet to be independently reviewed, alleviates doubts about the drug, widely used in India’s vaccination campaign and also sold to other countries, despite not having approval from the World Health Organization.

The latest data from Bharat Biotech reveals a slightly lower level of effectiveness announced by the laboratory in early March, when preliminary results suggested an 81 percent efficacy.

Covaxin has independently received emergency use authorization in some dozen countries, including Brazil, India, the Philippines, Iran and Mexico, among others.

“The company is in discussions with WHO to obtain emergency Use Listing for COVAXIN. The product has been exported to several countries with additional requests for supplies being received,” Bharat Biotech said in a statement.

The laboratory claims its vaccine is “the first to report promising efficacy” of 63.6 percent against asymptomatic infections, which is essential to help reduce disease transmission.

The laboratory has also stressed on its effectiveness against several variants of the virus such as B.1.617.2 (Delta), B.1.617.1 (Kappa), B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), and P2- B.1.1.28 (Gamma).

“COVAXIN works well against all variant strains of SARS-CoV-2. The successful development of COVAXIN has consolidated the position of Indian academia and Industry in the global arena,” said ICMR’s Director General Balram Bhargava.

Covaxin offers 65.2 percent protection against the Delta variant, initially detected in India, and which due to its rapid spread has become the dominant variant in several countries. EFE

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