NEW DELHI – Bharat Biotech in India has said that the Covid-19 vaccine is 81% effective in protecting people in a major clinical trial, a report that could bolster India’s efforts and vaccination efforts.
Bharat Biotech is one of the largest producers of vaccines in the world, but is little known outside the industry. It has been developing a Covid-19 vaccine since the first half of 2020, which New Delhi approved for emergency use this year. India has already administered the vaccine to more than one million people.
However, many Indians said they were reluctant to get the Bharat Biotech shot because they wanted to wait for the results of late trials. India’s vaccination process has been much slower than expected, with some health workers saying one of the reasons was that people did not feel confident about the Bharat Biotech vaccine.
The company said it wanted to clear up any issues with its announcement Wednesday. The interim results of its Phase 3 trial – which gave 25,800 people between the ages of 18 and 98 the vaccine or placebos – suggest that it is effective against Covid-19. The company added that it has early indications that it is also effective against the more contagious variant in the UK of the coronavirus.
“Today is an important day for us, the company and also for the country and Indian science,” said Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech.