In 2022, Bharat Biotech developed an approved intranasal vaccine as a combined (heterologous) booster dose – iNCOVACC. This vaccine was launched by the Union Health Minister in January 2023. It is a recombinant adenovirus (influenza virus) vectored vaccine formulated for intranasal administration through nasal drops.
The IIL said the danger of Covid-19 infection is not over, noting that it still kills about 1,700 people a week worldwide.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged people at risk to keep up to date with their vaccinations and boosters.
The IIL vaccine is developed using codon deoptimization technology, and the work was already published in Nature Communications on August 26. Codon deoptimization is considered a very efficient virus attenuation strategy and is also considered safer and less time-consuming than conventional methods, which typically take several years.
“Fully guided attenuation and the means are well known, and the attenuated virus is expected to present all antigens and mimic natural infection,” the company said.
“Among the different vaccine formats available, it is well known that live attenuated vaccines elicit a robust and broad-spectrum neutralizing antibody response,” IIL said, adding that its needle-free nasal booster vaccine has demonstrated stability and maintained safety in extensive animal studies.
K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, IIL, said, “This achievement marks a major step forward in our battle against COVID-19. The development of this vaccine not only underlines our dedication to public health innovation but also demonstrates IIL’s ability to embrace new technologies. We are excited about the codon deoptimization technology and its use in selective attenuation of microorganisms to be used as vaccine candidates.”
He added that his vaccine would facilitate non-invasive immunization, with the aim of improving vaccination rates and ultimately protecting more people and communities.
IIL was founded by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1982. It has multiple manufacturing plants that comply with GMP norms and exports to over 60 countries. IIL has launched several animal and human vaccines in the Indian market and is now actively working on a dengue vaccine, which it aims to commercialize by 2026.
COVID-19 cases are increasing worldwide. In mid-August, WHO reported that the SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate during the four-week reporting period from June 24 to July 21, 2024, increased from 7.4% in the first week to 13% in the last, across 85 countries.
Globally, JN.1 is the most reported variant of interest (VOI), currently reported by 135 countries.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.