Biological E’s made-in-India vaccine could have an efficacy of 90% and would be a game changer in the fight against the pandemic, said NK Arora, chairperson of the Centre’s Covid Working Group.
The vaccine, entering its Phase 3 trials, could be available by October.
The vaccine, to be called Corbevax, is similar to the Novavax vaccine according to Dr Arora.
Novavax would be produced by India by the Serum Institute of India, the one which also makes Oxford-AstraZeneca’ Covishield.
Bio E, being developed by Hyderabad-based Biological E., may be sold at the low price of ₹ 250 for two doses.
While speaking to NDTV, Dr Arora said that Zydus-Cadila’s product and India’s own messenger RNA-based Covid vaccine, to be manufactured by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, said: “The Indian mRNA vaccine is in phase 2. We will have it by September. It’s more compatible with the Indian setting in storage, transport and shelf life.”
In Dr Arora’s view, there is a strong possibility that the world would ultimately depend on India for affordable and effective vaccines against Covid-19.
“I’m aware that everybody is looking forward to India. Because most of the poor countries and low-income countries have no source. Today it is easier to buy weapons than to buy vaccines,” he said.
