Bharat Biotech gets DCGI nod for intranasal booster dose trials in India

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based multinational biotechnology company Bharat Biotech on Friday got permission to start trials for its intranasal booster dose in India, news agency ANI reported.

The trials will be done at 9 different sites, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) said while granting the approval.

The Hyderabad-based manufacturer had proposed the booster dose for those who have already been vaccinated with either Covishield or Covaxin covid vaccine.

The vaccine manufacturer plans to conduct clinical trials on 5,000 healthy individuals, 50 per cent of whom have received Covishield and the other 50 per cent have been inoculated with Covaxin.

Sources added that the intranasal vaccine is likely to be launched by March, with a six-month gap between the second vaccination dose and the intranasal booster dose.

The company had applied for permission sometime around mid-December to conduct clinical trials for its intranasal booster dose vaccine.