This interim efficacy trend puts Covaxin at par with other global front-runner vaccines, the desi vaccine’s co-developer, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), said in a statement.
The results, evaluated by an independent data safety and monitoring board, show that the vaccine is well-tolerated and efficacious against SARS-CoV-2 across a wide range of age groups and variants, the ICMR added.
Covaxin also demonstrates significant immunogenicity against the rapidly emerging variants, said Bharat Biotech chairman and managing director Dr Krishna Ella. According to the Hyderabad-based vaccine maker, the inclusion of the Algel-IMDG adjuvant in the vaccine enhances T-cell immune responses to Covid-19, leading to long-term protection.
The 80.6% efficacy figure was arrived at after 43 cases of Covid-19 were reported among the 25,800 Phase 3 trial participants. While 36 volunteers who received the placebo shot got infected with Covid-19, only seven volunteers that received the two Covaxin shots got infected.