Big achievement of Bharat Biotech, clinical trial of TB vaccine on adults started in India

In India, a clinical trial for the Mtbvac vaccine against tuberculosis has begun. This will be the first-ever vaccine against tuberculosis produced by Spanish biopharmaceutical company Biofabri from a human source. This information was released on Sunday by Bharat Biotech International Limited.

According to the release, MountBvac is being developed for two purposes. The first would be a vaccine for babies that is both more potent and might last longer than BCG (bacillus Calmette Guerin). However, it will be for the prevention of tuberculosis in adults and adolescents, for which there is currently no effective vaccine.

These trials have been conducted by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Biofabri. Trials to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of MTBVac have begun with a pivotal safety, immunogenicity and efficacy trial. It is planned to start by 2025.

This is a major step forward for testing among adults and adolescents in the country which accounts for 28 percent of the world's TB cases. Esteban Rodriguez, CEO of Biofabri, said TB is one of the leading infectious causes of death in the world, especially in India.

Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman, Bharat Biotech, said, 'Our quest for a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis has received a big boost today with the completion of clinical trials in India. “Our goal of developing a TB vaccine to prevent the disease in adults and adolescents has taken a major step forward today.”