The US National Institutes of Health has said that Covaxin effectively neutralizes Alpha and Delta variants of Covid-19. It cited results obtained during two studies of blood serum to arrive at this conclusion. The blood samples were taken from people who received the Covaxin jabs. Covaxin is one of the vaccines that has been developed to provide a guard against Covid-19. It is developed by India-based biotech company Bharat Biotech. It is an inactivated virus-based drug. It is a two-shot drug. The top US health body said that Covaxin produces strong antibodies against the two variants. Delta variant was first reported in India. It is now prevalent in the US and UK.
The NIH study said that Covaxin comprises a disabled form of SARS-CoV-2 that causes infection in the body. When administered, the disabled virus doesn’t replicate. It, however, stimulates the immune system to generate antibodies. This protects against the virus. The vaccine is majorly being given to people in India. More than 10 other countries have also approved the vaccine. As many as 25 million jabs of Covaxin have been given worldwide. The NIH said that an adjuvant used in Covaxin also contributed to its success. It is a substance that is formulated as part of the drug. The adjuvant used in Covaxin is Alhydroxiquim-II. It helps in boosting the body’s immune responses and thus enhances the vaccine’s effectiveness against infection.
NIH said that ViroVax discovered and tested Alhydroxiquim-II. It was supported by the Adjuvant Development Program of the NIAID. The adjuvant has a small molecule. This activates TLR7 and TLR8. Both are two cellular receptors. They play a crucial role in developing a strong immune response. Bharat Biotech had in 2019 signed a licensing pact with ViroVax to use Alhydroxiquim-II in its vaccines. The license was expanded during the Covid-19 pandemic and used in Covaxin. According to Bharat Biotech, results from a Phase 3 trial indicate that Covaxin has an efficacy rate of 78 percent against symptomatic disease and 100 percent efficacy against severe infection. It reduces the risk of hospitalization and deaths as well due to Covid-19.
