Covaxin booster shot neutralises Omicron, says Bharat Biotech

The study was conducted at the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta based on blood serum collected from 13 individuals, 28 days after their booster shot, the Bharat Biotech said.

NEW DELHI: Hyderabad based-vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech on Wednesday said that a booster shot of its Covaxin vaccine administered six months after the last of two doses neutralises both the Omicron and Delta variants of the coronavirus.

The study was conducted at the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta based on blood serum collected from 13 individuals, 28 days after their booster shot. 

It was sponsored by Bharat Biotech`s partner Ocugen Inc. "The neutralisation activity of Covaxin-boosted sera was comparable to what has been observed in mRNA vaccine-boosted sera against the Omicron variant," Bharat Biotech said in a statement. "More than 90% of all individuals boosted with Covaxin showed neutralising antibodies."

Earlier studies demonstrated the neutralizing potential of COVAXIN® (BBV152) against SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern Alpha, Beta, Delta, Zeta and Kappa.

The study will be published on the pre-print server, medRXiv, shortly. Sera samples from individuals who received a booster of COVAXIN® (BBV152) were observed to be effective in neutralizing Omicron and Delta variants on a live virus neutralization assay. 

The neutralization activity of COVAXIN®-boosted sera was comparable to what has been observed in mRNA vaccine-boosted sera against the Omicron variant. More than 90% of all individuals boosted with COVAXIN® (BBV152) showed neutralizing antibodies. All participants received an initial two-dose schedule of COVAXIN® (BBV152) on Day 0 and Day 28.

“As the dominant COVID-19 variant throughout the world, Omicron poses a serious public health concern,” said Mehul Suthar, PhD, Assistant Professor, Emory Vaccine Center and who led the laboratory analysis. 

“Data from this preliminary analysis show individuals receiving a booster dose of COVAXIN® have a significant immune response to both the Omicron and Delta variants. These findings suggest that a booster dose has the potential to reduce disease severity and hospitalizations.”

Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech said, “We are in a continuous state of innovation and product development for COVAXIN®. The positive neutralization responses against the Omicron and Delta variants validate our hypothesis of a multi-epitope vaccine generating both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Our goals of developing a global vaccine against COVID-19 have been achieved with the use of COVAXIN® as a universal vaccine for adults and children.”

“The global impact of Omicron shows us that the fight against COVID-19 continues, and we’re encouraged that these data demonstrate the value of COVAXIN® as a primary and booster vaccine,” said Dr Shankar Musunuri, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, Ocugen, Inc. “These results show how a broad-spectrum vaccine has the potential ability to address ever-shifting public health challenges such as new variants and mutations.”

COVAXIN® is formulated uniquely such that the same dosage can be administered to adults and children alike. COVAXIN® is a ready-to-use, liquid vaccine, stored at 2 - 8°C, with 12 months shelf life and multi-dose vial policy. The same doses of vaccine can also be used for two-dose primary immunization in adults and children and for booster dose vaccinations.