Biological E (BE), a Hyderabad-based vaccines and pharmaceutical company, has announced that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to their Corbevax vaccine, which is India's first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine that is based on protein sub-unit platform.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) already approved the vaccine for restricted use in emergency among adults, adolescents and young children in a sequential manner from December’21 to April’22; as well as India’s first heterologous COVID-19 booster shot for adults age 18 and above in June’22. 

BE supplied 100 million doses of Corbevax  to the Government of India which were then utilised in pan-India immunisation campaigns; mainly in 12-14 yr old children. 

Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E. said “While several companies which entered the field of vaccine development & manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic exited soon afterwards either due to paucity of funds or lack of success, BE continues to remain committed to develop and provide access to high quality affordable vaccines globally by constantly enlarging its portfolio of offerings.’’ 

BE has been working on a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine that is based on the XBB1.5 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which would conform to WHO TAG-CO-VAC recommendations. BE's candidate vaccine has completed all required pre-clinical animal studies, which suggest that it will provide adequate protection against the currently circulating variants.

BE has recently received final approval from CDSCO to begin clinical trials of the XBB.1.5 variant vaccine in India. The clinical trials will commence soon at various trial sites in India.  BE already qualified manufacturing infrastructure for producing variant vaccines to initiate supply at a short notice.