Thread by @covid19indiaorg

A quick overview of Biological E.'s Covid vaccine:

✅ Vaccine platform: Protein Subunit.
✅ Number of doses: 2 doses
✅ Gap between doses: 28 days*
✅ Current status: Completed Phase 1 and 2 trials. Got approval for Phase 3 trials in April 2021.

*As per clinical trials.

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✅ Partnership: Antigen developed by Texas Children's Hospital for Vaccine Development and Baylor College of Medicine. Adjuvant supplied by Dynavax Technologies (US).

✅ Proven platform used for Hepatitis B vaccine. Novavax vaccine also uses subunit technology.

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✅ What is a protein subunit vaccine?
It consists of specific parts of the SARS-Cov-2 antigen that are synthesized and harvested in a medium like yeast. The proteins themselves elicit weak immune response and they need an adjuvant added to augment the immune response.

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✅ What is an adjuvant?
Adjuvants are substances that are combined with a protein (antigen) in a vaccine that increases the overall immune response of the vaccine. In the case of Biological E.'s vaccine, the adjuvants used are Alum and CpG 1018 developed by Dynavax, USA.

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✅ Advantages of Protein subunit vaccines:
📌 Proven vaccine platform with high safety profile.
📌 Expected to elicit strong immune response.
📌 Scalable production with existing production facilities.
📌 Expected to have lower cost and easier storage/transportation needs.

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📌 Phase 3 trials were approved in April, though data on whether the trials have started is not available.
📌 As per projections from Biological E., 6.5Cr to 7Cr doses are expected from August.
📌 Note that there are dependencies on process scaling and raw materials.

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