New Delhi: Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVAXIN shows positive efficacy in animal trials and generated robust immune responses, the Hyderabad-based company announced on Saturday (September 12, 2020).

This indigenous vaccine is one of the front runners in the race for a coronavirus vaccine in India.

COVAXIN which has been developed jointly by the Indian Council of Medical Research and Bharat Biotech, is being tested at 12 institutes across India. 

“Bharat Biotech proudly announces the animal study results of COVAXIN — these results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model,” the firm said in a statement.

In the trail, a two-dose vaccination regimen of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates was administered in 20 rhesus macaques, divided into four groups.

One group was administered with placebo, while three groups were immunised with three different vaccine candidates at zero and 14 days. All the macaques were exposed to viral challenge 14 days after the second dose.

“The results showed protective efficacy, increasing SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies, reducing replication of the virus in the nasal cavity, throat, and lung tissues of the monkeys,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, India on Saturday reported a record jump of 1,201 fatalities from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours with the death toll reaching 77,472. While for a second consecutive day a surge of 97,570 new COVID-19 infections were registered, as per data from the federal health ministry.