The only vaccine in use today–BCG (Bacillus Calmette and Guerin)–is an attenuated variant of the bovine TB pathogen. This is more than a hundred years old and has a limited effect on pulmonary tuberculosis, which is mostly responsible for the transmission of the disease. Studying the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of MTBVAC in the most populated country in the world and the one with the highest number of cases of this infectious disease is key to continue advancing in this vaccine,” the company said. The trials have been done in collaboration with Spanish biopharmaceuticals company Biofabri to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of MTBVAC in India.
“MTBVAC is being developed for two purposes: as a more effective and potentially longer-lasting vaccine than BCG for new-borns, and for the prevention of TB disease in adults and adolescents, for whom there is currently no effective vaccine,” Bharat Biotech International said. MTBVAC, the Spanish tuberculosis vaccine, is the first live attenuated vaccine of mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from a human.
Esteban Rodriguez, CEO of Biofabri, called it a giant step to test in adults and adolescents in the country, where 28% of the world’s TB cases accumulate.
Krishna Ella, executive chairman of Bharat Biotech, said, “Our quest for a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis received a big boost today, with clinical trials in India.”
