Corbevax

Why in news?

• India has placed an advance order to block 300 million doses of a new Covid-19 vaccine, Corbevax, from Hyderabad-based company Biological E.

About Corbevax:

• Corbevax is a “recombinant protein sub-unit” vaccine, which means it is made up of a specific part of SARS-CoV-2 — the spike protein on the virus’s surface.
• The spike protein allows the virus to enter the cells in the body so that it can replicate and cause disease.
• However, when this protein alone is given to the body, it is not expected to be harmful as the rest of the virus is absent.
• The body is expected to develop an immune response against the injected spike protein.
• Therefore, when the real virus attempts to infect the body, it will already have an immune response ready that will make it unlikely for the person to fall severely ill.
• Although this technology has been used for decades to make hepatitis B vaccines, Corbevax will be among the first Covid-19 vaccines to use this platform. Novavax has also developed a protein-based vaccine, which is still waiting for emergency use authorisation from various regulators.
• Like most other Covid-19 vaccines, Corbevax is administered in two doses.
• However, as it is made using a low-cost platform, it is also expected to be among the cheapest available in the country.

How the vaccine types different?

• Other Covid-19 vaccines approved so far are either mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna), viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishield, Johnson & Johnson and Sputnik V) or inactivated vaccines (Covaxin, Sinovac-CoronaVac and Sinopharm’s SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Vero Cell).
• Inactivated vaccines, which include killed particles of the whole SARS-CoV-2 virus, attempt to target the entire structure of the virus.
• Corbevax, like the mRNA and viral vector Covid-19 vaccines, targets only the spike protein, but in a different way.
• Viral vector and mRNA and vaccines use a code to induce our cells to make the spike proteins against which the body have to build immunity while in case of Corbevax, the protein is actually given into the body.

Prelims Question:

Consider the following statements regarding Corbevax:
1.It is an mRNA vaccine produced in India.
2.It is administered in two doses.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims question