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Indian Biotech In mRNA Push As COVID-19 Vaccine Moves To Phase II

Comparative Trials Against Covishield

 
• By Vibha Ravi

Gennova Biopharma’s mRNA ambitions are taking wing as its HDT Bio-partnered self-amplifying vaccine moves to Phase II. Notably, the company will have to prove superiority to AstraZeneca/Serum Institute’s Covishield in what appears to be the first comparative study for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India, Scrip learns.

Wooden blocks showing mRNA vaccine
m-RNA Vaccines Have Demonstrated Superiority To Traditional Vaccines • Source: Alamy

India’s Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd tied up with Seattle-based HDT Bio Corp. in July 2020, soon after the latter announced in February that year that it was working on an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

The partnership is now beginning to bear fruit, with the candidate, HGC019, receiving permission for Phase II/III trials from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) after

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