India-made Covaxin 'at least 60% effective', higher than WHO criteria: Bharat Biotech

New Delhi, Nov 22: India's indigenous Coronavirus vaccine Covaxin has shown at least 60 per cent effective in fighting Coronavirus infection and they are aiming to launch it in Q2 of 2021.

Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin' aimed to achieve at least 60% efficacy - minimum criteria set it was now attempting to reach an even higher rate.

"Chances of the vaccine being less than 50% effective are remote, as suggested by our trial results so far," the firm said.

According to WHO, "clear demonstration of efficacy (on a population basis) ideally with ∼a 50% point estimate" should be a minimum criterion for an acceptable candidate. The body also said that efficacy can be assessed against "disease, severe disease, and/or shedding."

Bharat Biotech is planning to launch its vaccine for COVID-19 in the second quarter next year if it gets the requisite approvals from the Indian regulatory authorities.

Covaxin- has been developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV) using inactivated Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus was isolated in an ICMR lab.

US pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna have said their vaccines have an efficacy of 95 percent and 94.5 percent, respectively.