Bharat Biotech's iNCOVACC: Here's how much COVID-19 nasal vaccine costs
Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Tuesday announced the price of its recently-approved intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, named iNCOVACC. It is priced at Rs. 800 (excluding taxes and administration charges) for private hospitals and Rs. 325 for central/state government hospitals. The vaccine will be made available to the public in the fourth week of January. People can book their vaccination slots through the Co-WIN app.
Why does this story matter?
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed the Parliament last week that iNCOVACC was recommended by India's technical expert committee on immunization. The intranasal vaccine by Bharat Biotech received the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's approval (CDSCO) in September. The COVAXIN manufacturer's new nasal vaccine product could help fight vaccine hesitancy and serve as a new weapon in India's arsenal against the deadly novel coronavirus.
iNCOVACC to be available as booster for 18+
Bharat Biotech said iNCOVACC is the world's first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for the primary two-dose vaccine schedule and also as a heterologous booster dose. The pharma giant reportedly said it is being rolled out as a booster dose for people aged above 18. Notably, iNCOVACC showed substantial success in all three clinical trial phases and heterologous studies, per the company's release.
Check the detailed statement by Bharat Biotech here
What did the clinical trials reveal?
Bharat Biotech said that participants in the clinical trials showed considerable antibody levels in their saliva after receiving iNCOVACC. The company also stated that these mucosal IgA antibodies of the upper respiratory tract could help prevent infections and transmission of the virus. The pharma giant also claimed this nasal delivery method was created to be an affordable solution for low- and middle-income nations.
Easy, painless immunization for pandemic: Dr. Krishna Ella
Bharat Biotech's Executive Chairman, Dr. Krishna Ella, has stated, "We have achieved the goals we set for ourselves during this pandemic." "We have developed COVAXIN and iNCOVACC, two COVID-19 vaccines from two different platforms, with two different delivery systems." "The vectored intranasal delivery platform gives us the capability for rapid product development, scale-up, easy and painless immunization during public health emergencies and pandemics."
Other vaccines available on the Co-WIN app
Confirming the approval of "Bharat Biotech's ChAd36-SARS-CoV-S COVID-19 (Chimpanzee Adenovirus Vectored) recombinant nasal vaccine" in September, Mandaviya termed it a "big boost" for India. Following Bharat Biotech's pricing announcement, iNCOVACC will reportedly be available for pre-booking on the Co-WIN app. Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN, Serum Institute of India's (SII) Covishield and Covovax, Russian Sputnik V, and Biological E Limited's Corbevax are currently listed on Co-WIN.
