Bharat Biotechs COVID-19 vaccine has shown an interim efficacy of 81% in late-stage clinical trials, reported the company.

The interim analysis included 43 recorded cases of COVID-19 in a trial of 25,800 participants. Thirty-six of these 43 cases were noted in participants in the placebo group, while 7 cases were recorded in those who received the Bharat Biotech vaccine. This translated to an efficacy rate of 80.6%.

India had approved the Bharat Biotech vaccine, called COVAXIN, in January without late-stage efficacy data. The vaccination drive in the country includes COVAXIN as well as a vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also given the first dose of COVAXIN… (ET Healthworld – Reuters, March 3, 2021)