Human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine begins in India

NewsBharati    15-Jul-2020 10:31:46 AM
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New Delhi, July 15: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced that human clinical trials for the vaccine of COVID-19 have begun in the country. Over 1,000 volunteers are participating in the exercise for each of the two indigenously developed vaccine candidates.
 
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"Two indigenous Indian vaccine candidates have undergone successful toxicity studies in rats, mice, and rabbits and the toxicity data has been shared with Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). They have got clearance to start early phase human trials this month," ICMR Director-General Dr. Balram Bhargava said while addressing a press conference.
 
 
"Approximately 1,000 human volunteers are participating in clinical trials for each of the two vaccine candidates and pre-clinical experiments for these as well as other vaccines are also being done at the National Institute of Virology, Pune," Bhargava said.
 
Highlighting India's role as largest vaccine producers in the world Dr. Bhargava said that India is considered as the "pharmacy of the world" and India supplies 60 percent of vaccines to the world that all developed nations are aware of it. And therefore, it is the country's "moral responsibility" to fast-track vaccine development process to break the chain of coronavirus transmission.
 
"60 percent of the vaccines (like Rubella, measles, polio) supplied in the world, whether it be Africa, Europe, South East Asia, or anywhere is of Indian origin. So, India is perceived as an important player in vaccines for supply for the world," he said.
 
"Every country which is developing a vaccine is in communication with India since they are aware India is a major producer. It is the moral duty that there should not be a delay not even by a day for regulatory clearances for these vaccines. It is necessary to break the transmission of the virus as soon as possible," he said.
 
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has permitted two trials of two vaccines. One has been developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited in collaboration with the ICMR whereas the other one has been done by Zydas Cadila Healthcare Ltd. It will go in for the first and second phase of human clinical trials.