Bharat Biotech says COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin shows 81% efficacy in interim analysis
India had approved the vaccine, branded Covaxin, in January without late-stage efficacy data, raising questions about its effectiveness
Bharat Biotech’s home-grown COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin has shown an interim vaccine efficacy of 81% in late-stage clinical trials, the company said on March 3.
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The interim analysis was based on 43 recorded cases of COVID-19 in the trial of 25,800 participants, conducted in partnership with the government’s medical research body.
Thirty-six of the 43 cases were recorded in participants who received a placebo, compared with seven cases in people who were given the Bharat Biotech vaccine, pointing to an efficacy rate of 80.6%, the company said.
India had approved the vaccine, branded Covaxin, in January without late-stage efficacy data, raising questions about its effectiveness.
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India’s vaccination drive, currently underway, includes Covaxin and a vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inoculated with the first dose of Covaxin.