Covaxin Effective Against New COVID Variants: Bharat Biotech

As per the study, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin retained neutralising activity against emerging variants of COVID-19.

Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo: The Quint)

A study conducted in collaboration with National Institute of Virology and Indian Council of Medical Research, by peer-review medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, has noted that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin demonstrates protection against the new COVID-19 variants.

As per the study, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin retained neutralising activity against emerging variants of coronavirus.

Published in the Oxford journal, the study found that vaccination with Covaxin produced neutralising titres against all key emerging variants tested including B.1.617 and B.1.1.7, first identified in India and the UK, respectively.

Bharat Biotech joint managing director Suchitra Ella cited the study in a tweet and said, “COVAXIN neutralising emerging variants”.

The study also observed a modest reduction in neutralisation by a factor of 1.95 against B.1.617 variant compared to vaccine variant.

It further added, despite this reduction, neutralising titre levels with B.1.617 remains above levels expected to be protective.

No difference in neutralisation between B.1.1.7 (first isolated in the UK) and vaccine strain (D614G) was observed.