The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has directed Bharat Biotech to complete the trial procedure of the first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine in a fast track mode. Balram Bhargava , DG, ICMR, has written a letter to the company to let it finish the whole process of clinical trial so that results could be out by August 15.
“This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and is one of the top priority projects which is being monitored at the topmost level of the Government. The vaccine is derived from a strain Bharat of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of virology. Pune- ICMR and BBIL are jointly working for the preclinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine,” the letter was quoted as saying by a daily.
The vaccine called Covaxin has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR. The vaccine recently got approval from ICMR for human clinical trials. A total of 12 institutes have been asked by the ICMR to fast track clinical trials of the vaccine as it is being considered the topmost priority projects which are being monitored by the government.
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“You have been chosen as a clinical trial site of the BBV152 COVID Vaccine. In view of the public health emergency due to COVID-19 pandemic and urgency, to launch the vaccine, you are strictly advised to fast track all approvals related to the initiation of the clinical trial and ensure that the subject enrollment is initiated no later than 7, July 2020,” stated Dr Bharagava in a letter.
Last week, Bharat Biotech received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct phase I and II human clinical trials.
eHealth reached out to Bharat Biotech the company has informed that they cannot comment about it.
With Coronavirus continuing wreaking havoc across the globe, vaccines have become top priority of world scientists. Countries like the United States and United Kingdom, have also achieved breakthroughs, but the vaccine has yet to see the light of the day.
In India, the virus has infected over six lakh people and the total tally is rising every day.The total number of Covid-19 tests in India is set to touch the one crore-mark soon.
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