Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 3: As coronavirus continues to strengthen its grip on the world, countries across the globe including India are ramping up their efforts in creating the vaccine. To make sure the vaccine is a reality in the immediate future, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) have joined forces.
It is very likely that Bharat Biotech and ICMR could launch the indigenous vaccine Covaxin by August 15 for the public.
The apex biomedical research body in India, ICMR expects to launch the COVID vaccine by August 15 upon completion of clinical trials. In order to fast track the process, ICMR has written to all stockholders to treat it as a top priority.
ICMR has developed the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine) partnered with BBIL. The ICMR has selected 12 institutes for a clinical trial of the country's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, an official had said on Thursday, Jul 2.
In a letter to the selected institute where the clinical trial is to be done, the ICMR also informed that it is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by August 15, 2020, after completion of all clinical trials, a news agency PTI stated in its report.
The 12 institutes have been asked by the ICMR to speed up the clinical trials of the vaccine as it is one of the top priority projects that is being monitored at the topmost level of the government.
BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however, the final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project, the ICMR told the selected institutes.
Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with the ICMR and National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech.
The indigenous inactivated vaccine was developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) High Containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India.
The Drug Controller General of India - Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had granted permission to initiate Phase I and II of Human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response.