Vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech and Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia have signed an exclusive deal to develop a new vaccine candidate for COVID-19 at Jefferson with the support from the Department of Biotechnology, Bharat Biotech aims for human trials in early December 2020.
Key Points:
i.The novel vaccine is developed from the existing deactivated rabies vaccine as a vehicle for coronavirus proteins. The carrier vaccine is known to produce a strong immune response and approved for everyone including children and pregnant women.
ii.This vaccine was developed in January 2020 at Infectious diseases expert Professor Matthias Schnell’s lab and completed the preliminary tests in animal models. The mice which received the vaccine showed strong antibody response
iii.The test result of the research on testing the animals vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 infection are expected in the next month
iv.Professor Schnell, a coronavirus expert, Director of the Jefferson Vaccine Institute and chairperson of Jefferson’s department of microbiology and immunology mentioned that the partnership with Bharat Biotech will accelerate the vaccine candidate through the next phases of development and to complete the animal testing and move to 1st clinical trial.
v.Bharat Biotech gains the rights to develop, market and deliver Jefferson’s vaccine across the world to the countries like, USA, Europe, Japan etc., under the license agreement.
vi.They have more than 100 global patents, 16 products, registration in around 70 countries and WHO pre-qualified.
vii.25% of the 90 coronavirus vaccines in development uses an established vaccine as a carrier or vector for the target virus, the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
About Bharat Biotech:
Chairman and Managing Director- Dr. Krishna M. Ella
Founded in- 1996
Headquarters- Hyderabad
