India's COVAXIN likely effective against UK variant - study

By Krishna N. Das

NEW DELHI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - A vaccine developed by India's
Bharat Biotech and a government research institute is likely to
be effective against the UK strain of the coronavirus, according
to a study on 26 participants shared by the company on
Wednesday.

The findings on COVAXIN, which is in use in India after
receiving emergency-use authorisation early this month, have
been published https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.26.426986v1.full.pdf
on the website bioRxiv that carries research not certified by
peer review.

"Sera from the vaccine recipients could neutralise the
UK-variant strains discounting the uncertainty around potential
escape," wrote scientists from the company and its partner, the
state-run Indian Council of Medical Research.

"It is unlikely that the mutation 501Y would be able to
dampen the potential benefits of the vaccine in concern."

Another study published https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pfizer-vaccine/pfizer-vaccine-appears-effective-against-coronavirus-variant-found-in-britain-study-idUSKBN29P13A
on bioRxiv last week said a vaccine developed by U.S. company
Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech
was also likely to protect against the more infectious variant
that has now spread around the world, with 150 cases in India.

While approving COVAXIN without any efficacy data from an
ongoing late-stage trial, India's drug regulator had touted its
ability to act against the whole body of a virus instead of just
its "spike-protein" tip, potentially making it more effective in
case of mutations.

India has already expanded the use of the vaccine in its
massive immunisation programme that began on Jan. 16 and has so
far covered more than 2 million people on the frontline such as
sanitation workers, nurses and doctors.

The world's second most populous country, which has reported
the most number of COVID-19 infections after the United States,
has also approved the Oxford University-AstraZeneca shot
for emergency use.

India on Wednesday reported 12,689 new infections, taking
the total to 10.69 million. Deaths rose by 137 to 153,724.

Bharat Biotech has sought emergency-use authorisation for
its vaccine in the Philippines and is also in talks with Brazil
to sell shots.
(Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Nick Macfie)