Bharat Biotech’s intranasal Covid vaccine gets approval

• iNCOVACC (BBV154) an intranasal vaccine against coronavirus received approval from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under Restricted Use in Emergency Situation.
  
  
  

Details:

• iNCOVACC has been specifically formulated to allow intranasal delivery through nasal drops
• Product development and clinical trials were funded in part by the Government of India.
• The iNCOVACC has got approval for Restricted Use in Emergency Situations for all adults in India, for heterologous booster doses.

Heterologous booster vaccine: In heterologous boosting, a person is injected with a different vaccine from that was used for the primary dose.

About iNCOVACC:

• Developed by: The vaccine was developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in partnership with Washington University, St Louis.
• Working: It is a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a prefusion stabilized spike protein.
  • It uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus which cannot replicate in the body to carry Covid spike protein to induce immunity.
  • It triggers a response in the blood (B-cells: IgG and T-cells) by producing antibodies or seeking out and destroying the infected cells.
  • It also triggers the B cells that reside around mucosal tissues to make another type of antibody, called IgA. It plays a large role in destroying airway pathogens.
• Usage: This vaccine will be used for primary immunization against COVID-19 in the 18+ age group for restricted use in emergency situations.
• Storage: iNCOVACC is stable at 2-8°C for easy storage and distribution.

Intranasal Administration

• For intranasal administration, the vaccine is sprayed into the nostrils and inhaled nasally.
  • An intranasal vaccine stimulates a broad immune response thus, neutralizing IgG, mucosal IgA, and T-cell responses.
  • Immune responses at the site of infection (in the nasal mucosa) are essential for blocking both infection and transmission of COVID-19.
• According to experts, an intranasal vaccine can fight against the virus even before it tries to cross the body’s protective barrier.

Drawbacks of Nasal Vaccine

• There is very little evidence to back the effectiveness of the nasal route of delivery.
• A nasal Vaccine in the case of polio has caused disease after the weakened virus in the product got mutated.
• Despite theoretical advantages, the intranasal approach to vaccination is largely unproven.
• The concept has been tested quite extensively in animals, but on humans.

Benefits of iNCOVACC:

• Likely to block both infection and transmission of COVID-19
• Non-invasive and needle-free
• Easy to administer as it does not require trained healthcare workers
• Eliminates needle-associated risks (injuries and infections)
• High compliance- ideally suits children and adults
• Scalable manufacturing- able to meet global demand.