Intranasal vaccine launched; symbol of innovation: Govt

Clinical trials were conducted to evaluate iNCOVACC as a primary dose schedule and as a heterologous booster dose for subjects who have previously received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin.

Union Ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Jitendra Singh at the launch of inCOVACC. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

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NEARLY ONE month after it was inducted into the country’s Covid vaccination drive, Bharat Biotech launched its intranasal vaccine Incovacc in the presence of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh on Republic Day.

The vaccine is to be used as a third booster dose for those who have already taken two doses of Covaxin or Covishield. It will cost Rs 325 for the Central government and states placing large orders, and Rs 800 for private players, according to the company.

The administration of the needle-less vaccine is expected to begin in hospitals that have placed advanced orders. The vaccine has already been added to the Government’s vaccine management portal CoWIN.

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“Proud to launch Incovacc, the world’s 1st intranasal vaccine for Covid, along with Minister Jitendra Singh Ji on Republic Day. A mighty display of India’s research and innovation prowess under PM Narendra Modi Ji’s leadership. Congratulations to Bharat Biotech for this feat! This is a historic achievement and a testimony to the innovative zeal of our scientists,” said Mandaviya in a series of tweets.

The intranasal vaccine’s induction comes as the country continues to record only about a couple of hundred cases a day. The move was cleared at the end of December when there was a push to increase coverage of the booster dose with a surge in cases reported from countries in the region like China and Thailand.

So far, 22.4 crore precaution doses have been administered in India, with the total coverage at around 27 per cent across age groups. The coverage continues to be low despite the Government’s 75-day free vaccination drive last year.

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One more in arsenal

Incovacc is the first intranasal vaccine to be approved against Covid. Experts say the delivery mechanism can generate immunity in the mucosal membrane (in the nose and mouth) and better protect against infection.

However, the coverage of the primary vaccine doses stands at over 90 per cent for all above the age of 12 years.

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Dr Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech, said, “With the rollout of iNCOVACC today, we have achieved our goal of establishing a novel vaccine delivery platform for intranasal delivery. It proves that India can innovate for itself and for the world. We and the country are well prepared for future COVID-19 variants and future infectious diseases.”

To induce immunity, officials said, the vaccine uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus, which cannot replicate in the body, to carry the Covid spike protein. It was developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with Washington University-St Louis. While the US University developed the vector that carries the spike protein and evaluated it in pre-clinical studies, Bharat Biotech handled product development and manufacturing capability.

The vaccine’s development was supported by Mission Covid Suraksha under the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which also manufactures Covaxin, said “being an intranasal vaccine, BBV154 may produce local antibodies in the upper respiratory tract, which may provide the potential to reduce infection and transmission”.

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