The Covid-19 effect is experienced by countries all across the world and the vaccine research to fight the pandemic is on the rise. Researchers and scientists all aroudn the globe are making every possible effort to develop a vaccine with an intention to create a shield as protection against the novel coronavirus.
COVID-19 Testing Update . For more details visit: https://t.co/dI1pqvXAsZ #ICMRFIGHTSCOVID19 #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #CoronaUpdatesInIndia #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Gp6iNMT91k
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) July 17, 2020
India is also moving on the same track, as Covaxin, the first vaccine candidate from the country, reaches human trial. The human trial was initiated last week. The research and trial were started by the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak and All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Patna. The vaccine is developed by Bharat Biotech, a reputed pharmaceutical company based in Hyderabad in collaboration with ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and NIV (National Institute of Virology). The biotech company got approval from the DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) to get started with phase 1 and phase 2 of human clinical trials of the candidate vaccine.
Check out the facts about the indigenous vaccine to fight against Covid-19
- Covaxin is derived from a strain of the coronavirus that was isolated by the NIV, Pune. An inactivated vaccine was developed by Bharat Biotech at Genome Valley in Hyderabad, where its high containment facility is located.
- The company announced, “Once the vaccine is injected into a human, it has no potential to infect or replicate since it is a killed virus. It just serves to the immune system as a dead virus and counts an antibody response towards the virus.”
- It was at AIIMs, Patna, that the human trials of the candidate vaccine started. The medical institute chose 10 volunteers for the experiment.
- To believe the many reports released, the first dose of Covaxin would be given to keenly observe the participants. The second dose would only be given in a time interval of fo 14 days. After the two doses, the volunteers would be checked for any side-effects of the candidate vaccine, Covaxin.
- Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin was under the pre-clinical testing stage that was carried out on animals to ensure its safety. Earlier, the pharmaceutical company said, Results from these studies have been promising and show extensive safety and effective immune responses.”
- A total number fo 12 institutes were selected by ICMR for these trials, including AIIMs in Patna and Delhi. Moreover, NIMS (Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences) in Hyderabad, also received a letter from the ICMR to become one of the trial sites. Institutes having dedicated clinical pharmacology departments were chosen for the Covaxin trials.
- Bill Gates said, “India has a lot of capacity there — with the drug and vaccine companies that are huge suppliers to the entire world. You know, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere — starting with Serum Institute, that’s the largest.”
- In the two phases of the trial process. Around 1100 people will be tested with Covaxin. The pharmaceutical company, Bharat Biotech, has decided to enroll almost 375 individuals for the first phase of human trials. Based on the results, they will plan to enroll around 750 individuals for the second trial.
- Another human trial process is initiated in the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak on 17th July. As per the words of the health minister of Haryana, Anil Vij, “Three subjects were enrolled today. All have tolerated the vaccine very well.”
- As per the words of Balram Bhargava, the Director General of ICMR, “From India’s perspective, we have two vaccine candidates. We are trying all out efforts to fast-rack it and it is the moral duty that there should not be a delay not even by a day for regulatory clearances for these vaccines so that we can break the transmission of the virus as soon as possible.”
Leave a comment