Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, 26 January, unveiled the world’s first intranasal Covid-19 vaccine iNCOVACC and said it marked a “glorious tribute to the call for Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
He launched the vaccine in the presence of Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.
The Union Health Ministry said the rollout of iNCOVACC was expected to begin in private hospitals that placed advance orders for it.
Although the initial manufacturing capacity of several million doses per annum has been established, it can be scaled up to a billion doses if required.
iNCOVACC is priced at ₹325 per dose for large-volume procurement by state governments and the Central government.
The company, in a statement, said the vaccine was now available on CoWIN and priced at ₹800 for private markets and ₹325 for supply to the Central and state governments.
Proud to launch iNCOVACC®️, the world's 1st intranasal vaccine for COVID, along with Minister @DrJitendraSingh Ji, on #RepublicDay.
A mighty display of India's research & innovation prowess under PM @NarendraModi Ji's leadership.
Congratulations to @BharatBiotech for this feat! pic.twitter.com/DS9rm8wN9T
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 26, 2023
Related: Bharat Biotech’s internasal Covid vaccine available on CoWIN portal
First to get nod as heterogenous booster
Developed by Bharat Biotech, iNCOVACC is the world’s first intranasal Covid-19 vaccine to receive approval for the primary two-dose schedule, as well as a heterologous booster dose for adults.
It was developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a PSU under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
Expressing his elation at the event, Mandaviya said over 65 percent of vaccines supplied in the world are from India.
Congratulating the BBIL team and the department of biotechnology for bringing about the vaccine, he stated that “being the world’s first intra-nasal Covid-19 vaccine, this marks a glorious tribute to the call for Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
The health minister added that India’s vaccine manufacturing and innovation capability is appreciated all over the world as it has made a mark in producing quality and affordable medicines.
He also highlighted that BBIL in collaboration with ICMR had introduced Covaxin in India within a month of the launch of the first Covid vaccine in the world.
Related: Nasal vaccine gets emergency use authorisation for booster doses
‘India has taken lead in vaccine development’
Congratulating BBIL for innovating another vaccine in collaboration with BIRAC, Jitendra Singh said, “India has taken a lead in developing vaccines and medicines for diseases common in the developing world.”
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal intervention and regular monitoring for inspiring and enabling the launch of “Mission Covid Suraksha” which he said has not only strengthened Aatmanirbhar Bharat but also bolstered India’s status as a worldwide vaccine development and manufacturing centre, thus showcasing the strength of the country’s Science and Technology capabilities.
“The next step will be to develop vaccines for non-communicable diseases,” he added.
Singh also stated that ZyCoV-D, the world’s first DNA-based vaccine against Covid-19, was also developed indigenously in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology under Mission Covid Suraksha through BIRAC.
iNCOVACC is a cost-effective Covid-19 vaccine that does not require syringes, needles, alcohol wipes, or bandages, among others, thus saving costs related to procurement, distribution, storage and biomedical waste disposal which are routinely required for injectable vaccines, he said.
It utilises a vector-based platform, which can be easily updated with emerging variants leading to large-scale production, within a few months. These rapid response timelines combined with the ability of cost-effective and easy intranasal delivery make it an ideal vaccine to address future infectious diseases, he added.
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
