On Friday, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals submitted the phase-II and phase-III trials data of India′s first mRNA Covid vaccine to the regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The recommendations about vaccines would come only after evaluation by the Subject Expert Committee (SEC). 

Gennova Biopharmaceuticals has also developed an Omicron-specific vaccine whose efficacy and immunogenicity need to be tested in humans. Dr Balram Bhargava, DG of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had told earlier that such a vaccine would be useful in future to treat other diseases and India was moving towards becoming a vaccine superpower.

Dr V K Paul, Member (Health) Niti Aayog stated the importance of the mRNA platform of the vaccine in the current scenario of the ongoing pandemic and beyond it for treating other diseases such as TB, malaria or dengue and providing affordable and effective vaccines.

As precautionary measures, India has extended its national wide vaccination drive and started vaccinating children aged 12 to 14 from March 16 with the Corbevax vaccine manufactured by Hyderabad-based Biological E. Corbevaxis India’s first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein subunit vaccine against COVID-19. Additionally, all above 60 years of age were now eligible for the Precaution Dose (same as the previous two doses), after 9 months from the date of the second vaccination.

Source: ET Healthworld