Bharat Biotech joins global efforts in developing coronavirus vaccine


Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Bharat Biotech said today that it was a part of an international collaboration of virologists and vaccine companies that has begun working on the development and testing CoroFlu, of a unique intranasal vaccine against Covid-19.

CoroFlu will build on the backbone of vaccine company FluGen's flu vaccine candidate known as M2SR, which is a self-limiting version of the influenza virus that induces an immune response against the flu. FluGen's lab will insert gene sequences from SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-10, into M2SR sot that the new vaccine will also induce immunity against the pathogen.

Sharing the details of the collaboration, Raches Ella, head, business development at Bharat Biotech said, "Bharat Biotech will manufacture the vaccine, conduct clinical trials, and prepare to produce almost 300 million does of vaccine for global distribution. Under the collaboration agreement, FluGen will transfer its existing manufacturing processes to Bharat Biotech to enable the vaccine for clinical trials.


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