Bharat Biotech's Covaxin shows 78 per cent efficacy in phase-3 interim analysis

Bharat Biotech's vaccine Covaxin has shown the efficacy of 78 per cent against mild, moderate and severe cases of Covid-19, as per Phase III interim analysis results, the vaccine maker said on Wednesday. It further noted that the second interim data of the Phase III study also showed that chances of hospitalisation due to the infectious disease were reduced by 100 per cent after taking the Covaxin jab.

"Due to the recent surge in cases, 127 symptomatic cases were recorded, resulting in a point estimate of vaccine efficacy of 78 per cent against mild, moderate, and severe Covid-19 disease," Bharat Biotech said in an official statement.

"Efficacy against SARS-Cov-2 has been established. Covaxin has demonstrated an excellent safety record in human clinical trials and in usage under emergency use. Covaxin is now a global innovator vaccine derived from R&D in India," Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that the Indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin is effective against multiple variants including the double mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2. The ICMR said the studies showed that Covaxin neutralised the UK and Brazil variants of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.