Bengaluru: An Indian Council of Medical Research study has shown that Bharat Biotech's Covaxin can effectively neutralise multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the double mutant strain.
Covaxin is the first Covid-19 vaccine that has been developed completely in India.
ICMR study shows #COVAXIN neutralises against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively neutralises the double mutant strain as well. @MoHFW_INDIA @DeptHealthRes #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #LargestVaccineDrive pic.twitter.com/syv5T8eHuR
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) April 21, 2021
The ICMR said that it had successfully isolated and cultured multiple variants of Covid-19, including the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), Brazil (B.1.1.28) and South African (B.1.351) variants.
ICMR and the Pune-based National Institute of Virology have also been able to isolate and culture the double mutant strain B.1.617, cases of which have been reported in certain parts of the country.
In a statement, the ICMR noted that Covaxin could neutralise the double mutant strain as well.
The announcement comes barely hours after the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech announced that it would be ramping up production of Covaxin to 700 million doses per year.
The production scale-up has been carried out in a stepwise manner across multiple facilities at Hyderabad and in Bengaluru.
The Centre had recently approved a sum of Rs 4,567.50 crore as advance payment to Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech to ramp up vaccine production against coronavirus.
