‘India’s first mRNA Covid vaccine is a gamechanger, can be stored in medical refrigerator’

Phase 3 trial interim data submitted to CDSCO, Dr N K Arora, who heads the COVID-19 working group, NTAGI, tells Anuradha Mascarenhas.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jun 13, 2022 08:05 PM IST

On booster doses, the expert said the precaution shot need not necessarily be the same vaccine.

India’s first home-grown mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, developed at Pune’s Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, is set to be a gamechanger as it can be stored at temperatures between 2 and 8 degree celsius, says Dr N K Arora, who heads the COVID-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group of Immunisation (NTAGI).

“The Phase III trial has been completed with the necessary follow-up and the interim data has been presented to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation,” Dr Arora told The Indian Express.

“I have yet to see the complete data. However this is cutting edge technology that will ensure availability of the product in remote areas. So this vaccine is a game-changer and brings about equity. Unlike in the West, where the vaccine has to be stored at sub-zero temperatures, our mRNA vaccine can be stored between 2 and 8 degree celsius,” he added. Which means that the vaccine, GEMCOVAC 19, can now be stored at the temperature of a standard medical refrigerator. Asked about the availability of the new vaccine, Dr Arora said, “Soon.” Dr Sanjay Singh, CEO of Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, could not be reached for comment.

Several lakhs of doses have been produced at the Gennova Biopharmaceuticals and authorities are a hopeful lot. The main aim was to innovate and ensure the mRNA vaccine could be made affordable and deployable. Scientists, biotechnologists, pharmacists and production personnel at the firm worked for over one-and-a-half years to come out with the Indian version of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Since there was a need to make the vaccine shots thermo-stable, hundreds of experiments were performed to distinguish between lab experiments and clinical trials before arriving at the right formulation and right condition. The Phase 1 and 2 trial data across 480 participants was submitted earlier. The interim data from Phase 3 trials across 4,000 participants has now been presented to the CDSCO.

Would the recent US FDA study about the rare incidence but increased risk of myocarditis or pericarditis after mRNA vaccination be a matter of concern? Prof Govindrajan Padmanabhan, former director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Chancellor of Central University of Tamil Nadu, said as of now there was no broad-based evidence that mRNA vaccine could lead to cardiac issues.

On booster doses, the expert said the precaution shot need not necessarily be the same vaccine. A mix and match strategy can be used and a Covishield vaccine can be followed by an mRNA vaccine, Prof Padmanabhan said. The Drug Controller and General of India (DCGI) authorities were unavailable for comment.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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