Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, will soon start clinical trials in the country to test if tuberculosis vaccine VPM1002 is effective as a preventive and immunity booster vaccine against COVID-19

NEW DELHI: Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, will soon start clinical trials in the country to test if tuberculosis vaccine VPM1002 is effective as a preventive and immunity booster vaccine against COVID-19. If the study yields positive results, the vaccine could be in markets by the end of this year.

The Pune-based biotechnology company has tied up with Berlin-based Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology and Vaccine Projekt Management (VPM) company, which had developed this vaccine, for its trials and manufacturing.

“This vaccine will help in boosting immunity and in improving health for people at risk and will play key role in combating several diseases by improved host immune responses,” VPM chief executive Leander Godre told ET.

Last month, Serum Institute had tied up with US-based biotech drug research company Codagenix to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. That vaccine is targeted to hit the markets in 2022.

The new initiative along with joint Max Planck Institute could yield faster results because phase III clinical trials of VPM1002 are likely to begin on 2,000 people in Germany across hospitals. Soon after that, SII would start trials in India as well. Phase III clinical trials involve up to 3,000 participants who have the condition.

The trials would be conducted on healthcare workers to see efficacy of the vaccine as a preventive against the novel coronavirus, and on elderly patients to check efficacy in reducing clinical severity.

The vaccine could hit market by the end of this year as it is already being tested in India for prevention of other infections. Umesh Shaligram, director (R&D) at Serum Institute, said SII is exclusive licence holder and manufacturer of this vaccine and has developed it from early clinical phase to late phase in the fields of TB and bladder cancer and has a capacity to supply millions of doses at short notice.

Scientists are enthused after their studies on mice. VPM1002 is based on BCG vaccine, which is a prescribed essential vaccine in India. Studies on mice have shown that the vaccine can protect against viral infections of respiratory tract, which is what COVID-19 is.