The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to Biological E Ltd’s (BE) Covid vaccine, Corbevax. The Hyderabad-based vaccine-maker’s Corbevax is India’s first indigenously developed Covid vaccine based on a protein sub-unit platform.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Corbevax for restricted use in emergency among adults, adolescents and young children in a sequential manner from December 2021 to April 2022 as well as India’s first heterologous Covid booster shot for adults age 18 and above in June 22.  

BE supplied 100 million doses of Corbevax to the Government of India, which were then utilised in pan-India immunisation campaigns, mainly in 12-14-year-old children. 

Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E said: “We are pleased with the WHO EUL because it would help us to use the platform to continue developing Covid-19 vaccines as and when it starts impacting public health. We are confident that this endorsement from WHO will bolster our global fight against Covid19.’’

She further added: “We understand that several countries come under a lot of fiscal pressure when it comes to dealing with Covid-19. We aim to reach the people in those countries with Corbevax just as we have done with all our other vaccines. Our commitment is to provide affordable and accessible vaccines that are of high quality and the WHO EUL lays a path for us to make that possible.”

While several companies which entered the field of vaccine development & manufacturing during the Covid-19 pandemic exited soon afterwards either due to paucity of funds or lack of success, BE continues to remain committed to develop and provide access to high quality affordable vaccines globally by constantly enlarging its portfolio of offerings, she added. 

BE has been working on a next-generation Covid vaccine based on the XBB1.5 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which would conform to WHO TAG-CO-VAC recommendations. BE’s candidate vaccine has completed all required pre-clinical animal studies, which suggest that it will provide adequate protection against the currently circulating variants.

BE has recently received final approval from CDSCO to begin clinical trials of the XBB.1.5 variant vaccine in India. The clinical trials will commence soon at various trial sites in India. BE already qualified manufacturing infrastructure for producing variant vaccines to initiate supply at a short notice.

The Corbevax vaccine is administered through intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart and is stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius temperature and presented as 0.5 ml (single dose) vial, 5 ml (10 doses) vial and 10 mL (20 doses) vial pack.

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