Hyderabad, Jan 16 (Reporter) Biological E. Limited (BE), a Hyderabad-based Vaccine and Pharmaceutical company, announced that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to their Corbevax vaccine. This milestone marks India's first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine, utilizing a protein sub-unit platform, a company statement said on Tuesday. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had previously approved the restricted emergency use of Corbevax among adults, adolescents, and young children from December 2021 to April 2022. Additionally, in June ’22, Corbevax became India's first heterologous COVID-19 booster shot for adults aged 18 and above. BE supplied 100 Million Doses of Corbevax to the Government of India, contributing to pan-India immunization campaigns, with a focus on 12-14-year-old children. Mahima Datla, Managing Director of Biological E. Limited, said, "We are pleased with the WHO EUL because it would help us to use the platform to continue developing COVID-19 vaccines as and when it starts impacting public health. We are confident that this endorsement from WHO will bolster our global fight against COVID-19." Mahima said , "Our commitment is to provide affordable and accessible vaccines that are of high quality, and the WHO EUL lays a path for us to make that possible." Highlighting BE's dedication to vaccine development, Mahima noted, "While several companies which entered the field of vaccine development & manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic exited soon afterwards either due to paucity of funds or lack of success, BE continues to remain committed to developing and providing access to high-quality affordable vaccines globally by constantly enlarging its portfolio of offerings." She said BE is actively working on a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine based on the XBB1.5 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, aligning with WHO TAG-CO-VAC recommendations. The candidate vaccine has completed all required pre-clinical animal studies, indicating adequate protection against currently circulating variants. BE has received final approval from CDSCO to commence clinical trials of the XBB.1.5 variant vaccine in India. Clinical trials will begin shortly at various trial sites, leveraging BE's qualified manufacturing infrastructure for variant vaccines, enabling quick supply initiation. The Corbevax vaccine is administered through the intramuscular route, with two doses scheduled 28 days apart. It is stored at temperatures between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius and presented as a 0.5 ml (single dose) vial...////...