India gives nod to Bharat Biotech's nasal COVID booster to conduct trials

Hyderabad-based manufacturer Bharat Biotech on Friday was given a go-ahead by the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) to conduct trials of its intranasal COVID booster dose in the country. The trials for Bharat Biotech's nasal COVID booster dose will be carried out at nine different locations in the country. Earlier, DGCI had granted approval to Bharat Biotech to conduct "Phase III superiority study and Phase III booster dose study" trials for its intranasal Covid vaccine.

Bharat Biotech had earlier proposed the booster dose for those who have been already been innoculated with Covishield and Covaxin vaccines. There will be a gap of around six months between the second and the intranasal booster dose. 

In his address to the nation on December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that soon the country will develop a nasal vaccine.