The Indian government has boosted its backing for the mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine candidate, HGCO19, offering further financial support towards clinical studies under the ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’.
The Making of HGCO19
HGCO19 is a novel mRNA vaccine created by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd from Pune, India and HDT Biotech Corporation, USA. This collaborative effort has led to the successful development of this vaccination which has shown safety, immunogenicity and neutralization antibody activity in animal and non-human primate models. Gennova has now commenced the enrolment process for Phase 1/2 clinical trials of its HGCO19 vaccine candidate.
mRNA Vaccine vs Traditional Vaccines
Traditional vaccines function by introducing small or inactivated doses of disease-causing organisms or their proteins into the body, which prompts an immune response. These traditional vaccines differ from mRNA vaccines as, instead of containing the virus, mRNA vaccines use a different approach. They contain mRNA (messenger RNA), which is essentially the molecule that puts DNA instructions into action within a cell. Thus, this type of vaccine tricks the body into producing some of the viral proteins by itself.
Functioning of mRNA Vaccines
Scientists create synthetic versions of the mRNA that a virus uses to build its infectious proteins to produce an mRNA vaccine. This synthetic mRNA is then introduced into the human body, where the body’s cells interpret it as instructions to assemble that viral protein. Therefore, they create some virus molecules themselves. However, these proteins are solitary and do not form a virus. The immune system identifies these viral proteins and begins producing a defensive response against them.
Advantages of Using mRNA based Vaccines
The safety of mRNA vaccines stems from their non-infectious, non-integrating nature, and the standard cellular mechanisms’ degradation. Their efficacy comes from their inherent ability to translate into the protein structure inside the cell cytoplasm. Furthermore, mRNA vaccines are wholly synthetic and do not require a host for growth (such as eggs or bacteria), equipping them for quick, inexpensive mass production and therefore, ensuring their “availability” and “accessibility”.
Mission Covid Suraksha
Mission Covid Suraksha is India’s initiative to enable the development of indigenous, affordable, and accessible vaccines. Announced as part of the third economic stimulus package, this mission both consolidates existing resources and directs them towards accelerated product development. This mission oversees everything from preclinical development through clinical development, manufacturing, and regulatory facilitation for deployment. The Department of Biotechnology leads it, and it’s implemented by the dedicated Mission Implementation Unit at the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
About BIRAC
The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise. Set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) as an Interface Agency, BIRAC aims to strengthen and empower emerging Biotech enterprises to undertake strategic research and innovation. It focuses on addressing nationally relevant product development needs.