Multi-variant Covid vax in the works

Govt partnering pharma industry to develop it

India is working to develop an umbrella Covid-19 vaccine, just like the multi-variant flu shots in the market. Government institutions, along with the pharmaceutical industry, are examining if a ‘cocktail’ approach to making a multi-variant Covid-19 vaccine works against multiple strains of the ever-mutating virus, a senior government official told Business Standard.

While the official did not divulge details about the institutions involved in the project, he said the government was partnering with the industry. “The product is not ready yet; it is under development. This will take some time. Once the product is ready, it will go for clinical trials,” the official said.

He said basic science institutions, the pharma industry, and industry-academia collaborations were working to develop the new-generation Covid vaccine. “This is a scientific effort, and ongoing,” the person said.

According to sources in the industry, there are two approaches to this — one is developing vaccines using a strain different from the Wuhan one, for example, the Delta variant; and second, to mix two strains and see whether that gives a better coverage and has better neutralising capacities.

Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila, for example, is trying to develop a Delta variant vaccine for its already-approved Dna-plasmid Covid vaccine. It is also testing whether a multi-variant vaccine can be developed in the laboratory.

Speaking to Business Standard, Sharvil Patel, managing director of Zydus Cadila, said, “We are making a Delta variant construct, and we will test that variant to see whether it works to neutralise the Delta variant better, and potentially other variants also.”

He added that if the Delta variant construct proves to neutralise