Covaxin, the Covid-19 vaccines developed by the Bharat Biotech and the ICMR is safe according to the preliminary test of the Phase 1 trial. In the Phase 1 trial 32 candidates were given the boost out of 50 candidates. The principal investigator, Savita Verma said, “The vaccine is safe. We have not observed any adverse events in any of the volunteers at our site.”
Investigators are collecting blood samples to test the immunogenicity of the vaccine, and expect to complete the Phase 1 trials by the end of August. “We are in the process of giving a second dose to the healthy volunteers and so far, we have not seen anything unusual event in patients. It is safe,” Sanjay Rai, the principal investigator.
The vaccine is being tested on 375 volunteers who have enrolled at 12 sites in India. Two doses of the vaccine are being administered to each volunteer. The vaccine is developed from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune.
Serum Institute of India is also expected to soon begin human trials and manufacturing of the experimental vaccine developed by Oxford University and Swedish-British drug maker AstraZeneca. If the process continued smoothly, the vaccine would be available in the first half of 2021.
Reference: 1. The economic times, 2. Money control.
NEWS REPORTED BY:
VRIDHI BHAGNARI.
CONTACT DETAILS: [email protected]
